thin
the law. But she thought that she was badly treated, and had declared
that she was now left out in the cold for ever through his treachery.
Then her last word had been almost the worst of all, "Who can tell
what may come to pass?"--showing too plainly that she would not even
now give up her hope. Before the month was up she wrote to him as
follows:

DEAR LORD SILVERBRIDGE,

Why do you not come and see me? Are friends so plentiful
with you that one so staunch as I may be thrown over?
But of course I know why you do not come. Put all that
aside,--and come. I cannot hurt you. I have learned to
feel that certain things which the world regards as too
awful to be talked of,--except in the way of scandal, may
be discussed and then laid aside just like other subjects.
What though I wear a wig or a wooden leg, I may still be
fairly comfortable among my companions unless I crucify
myself by trying to hide my misfortune. It is not the
presence of the skeleton that crushes us. Not even that
will hurt us much if we let him go about the house as he
lists. It is the everlasting effort which the horror makes
to peep out of his cupboard that robs us of our ease. At
any rate come and see me.

Of course I know that you are to be married to Miss
Boncassen. Who does not know it? The trumpeters have been
at work for the last week.

Your very sincere friend,

MABEL.

He wished that she had not written. Of course he must go to her. And
though there was a word or two in her letter which angered him, his
feelings towards her were kindly. Had not that American angel flown
across the Atlantic to his arms he could have been well content to
make her his wife. But the interview at the present moment could
hardly be other than painful. She could, she said, talk of her own
misfortunes, but the subject would be very painful to him. It was
not to him a skeleton, to be locked out of sight; but it had been a
misfortune, and the sooner that such misfortunes could be forgotten
the better.

He knew what she meant about trumpeters. She had intended to signify
that Isabel in her pride had boasted of her matrimonial prospects.
Of course there had been trumpets. Are there not always trumpets
when a marriage is contemplated, magnificent enough to be called an
alliance? As for that he himself had blown the trumpets. He had told
everybody that he was going to be married to Miss Bonc