re for you; that I sold myself to save my father's good name. I know
the situation is not a new one; I know that such marriages, strange to
say, have before now turned out to be something like success. But not
ours. All the heart I ever had to bestow has long since been given to
another. I will do my best to make your life comfortable, I will do my
best to learn all that a wife is asked to become. But no more."

Richford turned away with a savage curse upon his lips. The cold
contempt struck him and pierced the hide of his indifference as nothing
else could. But he was going to have his revenge. The time was near at
hand when Beatrice would either have to bend or break, Richford did not
care which. It was the only consolation that he had.

"Very well," he said. "We understand one another. We shall see. _Au
revoir!_"

He took up his hat and his stick, and strode off without a further word.
Beatrice put the diamonds away from her as if they had been so many
deadly snakes. She felt that she would loathe the sight of diamonds for
the rest of her life.

The time was drawing on now, it only wanted another hour, and the thing
would be done. Lady Rashborough came in and admired the diamonds; in her
opinion, Beatrice was the luckiest girl in London. Her ladyship was a
pretty little blue-eyed thing adored by her husband, but she had no
particle of heart. Why a girl should dislike a man who would give her
diamonds like these she could not possibly imagine.

"You will be wiser as you grow older, my dear," she said sapiently. "Why
didn't I meet Richford before?"

Beatrice echoed the sentiment with all her heart. She resigned herself
dully to the maid; she took not the slightest interest in the
proceedings; whether she looked ill or well mattered nothing. But though
her own natural beauty was not to be dimmed, and though she had the aid
of all that art could contrive, nothing could disguise the pallor of her
face.

"A little rouge, miss," Adeline implored. "Just a touch on your cheeks.
Your face is like snow, and your lips like ashes. I could do it so
cleverly that----"

"That people would never know," Beatrice said. "I have no doubt about
it, Adeline. But all the same I am not going to have any paint on my
face."

A big clock outside was striking the three quarters after eleven;
already the carriage was at the door. As yet there was no sign of Sir
Charles. But perhaps he would join the party at the church, seeing that
th