al with financial matters. I could not give
him love, but I did give him every attention, and I believe that I was
able to help him in some ways. I shall utilize my experience to see the
family lawyer and go into matters thoroughly. Then we shall know for
certain if things are as bad as Hubert made out. If they are, I must
sacrifice you and myself for the sake of our name; if they are not--"

"Well?" asked Lambert, seeing how she hesitated. Agnes crossed the room
and placed her arms round his neck with a lovely color tinting her wan
cheeks. "Dear," she whispered, "I shall marry you. In doing so I am not
disloyal to Hubert's memory, since I have always loved you, and he
accepted me as his wife on the understanding that I could not give him
my heart. And now that he has insulted me," she drew back, and her eyes
flashed, "I feel free to become your wife."

"I see," Lambert nodded. "We must wait?"

"We must wait. Duty comes before love. But I trust that the sacrifice
will not be necessary. Good-bye, dear," and she kissed him.

"Good-bye," repeated Lambert, returning the kiss. Then they parted.

CHAPTER XI.

BLACKMAIL.

Having come to the only possible arrangement, consistent with the
difficult position in which they stood, Lambert and Lady Agnes took
their almost immediate departure from The Manor. The young man had
merely come to stay there in response to his cousin's request, so that
his avoidance of her should not be too marked, and the suspicions of
Pine excited. Now that the man was dead, there was no need to behave in
this judicious way, and having no great love for Garvington, whom he
thoroughly despised, Lambert returned to his forest cottage. There he
busied himself once more with his art, and waited patiently to see what
the final decision of Agnes would be. He did not expect to hear for some
weeks, or even months, as the affairs of Garvington, being very much
involved, could not be understood in a moment. But the lovers, parted by
a strict sense of duty, eased their minds by writing weekly letters to
one another.

Needless to say, Garvington did not at all approve of the decision of
his sister, which she duly communicated to him. He disliked Lambert,
both as the next heir to the estates, and because he was a more popular
man than himself. Even had Pine not prohibited the marriage in his will,
Garvington would have objected to Agnes becoming the young man's wife;
as it was, he stormed tempests, bu