y talked. You know she didn't know him so well then,' said Violet,
looking up pleadingly.

'She was very prudent.'

'She could not know he did not deserve it,' said the young bride, ready
to resent it for her husband, since his brother did not, then again
excusing her mother. 'It was all her care for me, dear mamma! She told
me not to think about it; but I could not help it! Indeed I could not!'

'No, indeed,' and painful recollections of his own pressed on him, but
he could not help being glad this tender young heart was not left to
pine under disappointment. 'How long ago was this?'

'That was six weeks ago--a month before our wedding-day,' said she,
blushingly. 'I did wish it could have been longer. I wanted to learn,
how to keep house, and I never could, for he was always coming to take
me to walk in the park. And it all happened so fast, I had no time to
understand it, nor to talk to mamma and Matilda. And then mamma cried so
much! I don't feel to understand it now, but soon perhaps I shall have
more quiet time. I should like to have waited till Lord Martindale came
home, but they said that could not be, because his leave of absence
would be over. I did wish very much though that Miss Martindale could
have left her aunt to come to our wedding.'

John found reply so difficult, that he was glad to be interrupted by
Arthur's return. He soon after set out to call upon Captain Fitzhugh,
who had been at Wrangerton with Arthur.

From him more of the circumstances were gathered. Mr. Moss was the
person universally given up to reprobation. 'A thorough schemer,' said
the Irish captain. As to the Miss Mosses, they were lady-like girls,
most of them pretty, and everywhere well spoken of. In fact, John
suspected he had had a little flirtation on his own account with some of
them, though he took credit to himself for having warned his friend to
be careful. He ended with a warm-hearted speech, by no means displeasing
to John, hoping he would make the best of it with Lord Martindale, for
after all, she was as pretty a creature as could be seen, one that any
man might be proud of for a daughter-in-law; and to his mind it was
better than leaving the poor girl to break her heart after him when it
had gone so far.

Arthur himself was in a more rational mood that evening. He had at first
tried to hide his embarrassment by bravado; but he now changed his
tone, and as soon as Violet had left the dining-room, began by an abrupt
in