t the candle with a crash and splutter;
up went the two hands to her face.

Mr. Jasper Vermont stood looking down at her with a cruel, amused smile
for a moment; then in his soft, purring voice he said:

"I'm afraid I've startled you, Miss--Mrs. Ashford. Pray let me recover
the candle. There that's better." As he spoke he pushed past her into
the dimly lighted shop.

"Quite startled, eh?" he continued blandly. "Unwelcome visitor, I
suppose?"

"No, no!" breathed the poor little woman, who at the moment resembled a
sparrow in the clutches of a hawk, or a mouse beneath the paw of its
enemy, the cat. "No, no, I--I am very glad to see you, sir. Will you
come in?"

At this faint welcome Mr. Vermont smiled still more.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lucy," he said, "I think I will," and he followed her
into the spotless sitting-room.

Meanwhile, Jessica, at the first sound of a strange voice, and afraid of
being sought for by Wilfer, had concealed herself at the back of the
house.

Jasper looked round the room in mock admiration.

"What a delightful little place you have here," he continued. "Most
charming! Commerce and romance mingled together, I declare. And now,"
sinking into a seat and fixing his eyes upon the white, frightened face
of his victim, "how is your husband, Mr. John Ashford?"

"Very well, sir," faltered the miserable woman, praying with all her
heart that John might not come home.

"And the children," continued her persecutor; "two, are there not?
Pretty little dears! I'm so fond of children, you know, Mrs. Lucy. Quite
a happy woman you must be. A most comfortable little house, I never saw
anything like it, excepting once, and that was at Canterbury."

The poor woman, her worst fears realised, fell down on her knees, and
turned up her white face piteously to the cruel, mocking one above her.

"Oh, sir, kind, good sir," she implored, "spare me! You will not, say
you will not ruin me? We are so happy; it will break his heart if he
learns my secret. He is so good. The children! Have pity on them at
least, sir, and do not betray me."

Jasper smiled, and Lucy became even more incoherent.

"Oh, sir," she cried, the tears streaming down her white face unheeded.
"I was so young, so giddy and thoughtless, and that man was so wicked.
He tempted me. Oh, Mr. Vermont, sir, I will pray every night for you as
I pray for John and my little ones, if you will but spare me and keep my
secret."

She might just as well have