r me?"

Mr. Carlyle shook his head. "It cannot be," he said, in a low, decisive
tone.

"Who says so?" she sharply asked.

"I do. Have you forgotten that night--when she went away--the words
spoken by Joyce? Cornelia, whether they were true or false, I will not
subject another to the chance."

She did not answer. Her lips parted and closed again. Somehow, Miss
Carlyle could not bear to be reminded of that revelation of Joyce's; it
subdued even her.

"I cast no reflection upon you," hastily continued Mr. Carlyle. "You
have been a mistress of a house for many years, and you naturally look
to be so; it is right you should. But two mistresses in a house do not
answer, Cornelia; they never did, and they never will."

"Why did you not give me so much of your sentiments when I first came to
East Lynne?" she burst forth. "I hate hypocrisy."

"They were not my sentiments then; I possessed none. I was ignorant upon
the subject as I was upon many others. Experience has come to me since."

"You will not find a better mistress of a house than I have made you,"
she resentfully spoke.

"I do not look for it. The tenants leave your house in March, do they
not?"

"Yes, they do," snapped Miss Corny. "But as we are on the subject of
details of ways and means, allow me to tell you that if you did what
is right, _you_ would move into that house of mine, and I will go to a
smaller--as you seem to think I shall poison Barbara if I remain with
her. East Lynne is a vast deal too fine and too grand for you."

"I do not consider it so. I shall not quit East Lynne."

"Are you aware that, in leaving your house, I take my income with me,
Archibald?"

"Most certainly. Your income is yours, and you will require it for your
own purposes. I have neither a right to, nor wish for it."

"It will make a pretty good hole in your income, the withdrawing of it,
I can tell you that. Take care that you and East Lynne don't go bankrupt
together."

At this moment the summons of a visitor was heard. Even that excited
the ire of Miss Carlyle. "I wonder who's come bothering to-night?" she
uttered.

Peter entered. "It is Major Thorn, sir. I have shown him into the
drawing-room."

Mr. Carlyle was surprised. He had not thought Major Thorn within many a
mile of West Lynne. He proceeded to the drawing-room.

"Such a journey!" said Major Thorn to Mr. Carlyle. "It is my general
luck to get ill-weather when I travel. Rain and hail, thunder and heat;
n