estion.

"That is just the difficulty, my dear lady," he replied slowly. "If I
can only see my way clear--Mr. Rossiter advised me to speak to Miss
Jacobi; he seems to think she is more amenable to reason than her
brother, and probably he is right." But to Malcolm's surprise Dinah's
mild eyes began to flush angrily.

"I have a worse opinion of her than I have of her brother," she said
hurriedly; "she is a wicked woman--she let men make love to her when
she knew her husband was alive! If she marries Cedric, I will never see
her or him either;" and here Dinah trembled from head to foot.

Elizabeth, startled by the excitement of one generally so gentle, knelt
down by her sister and put her arms round her. "Dear Die," she
implored, "don't make it worse for us all. Mr. Herrick is trying to
help us, and we must not make things more difficult for him. What do
you advise?" she continued, turning to Malcolm. "You have seen this
Leah--would it be better to bribe or frighten her?"

"That is impossible for me to say," returned Malcolm, averting his eyes
quickly from the earnest, troubled face. "I have only exchanged a few
words with Miss Jacobi, and know little about her."

"You mean the Contessa Ferrari," interrupted Dinah almost harshly; "for
heaven's sake let the woman be called by her right name!"

"It is a name she refuses to own," he returned quietly. "Will you let
me say what I really think?--you know I have only seen her twice. I
think she is a wronged and unhappy woman, and that her troubles have
hardened her nature and made her reckless. Her brother tyrannises over
her, and she has never been free to lead her own life or follow her own
better impulses, and her beauty and wonderful fascination have only
been used to further Saul Jacobi's ambitious aims. In my opinion Cedric
was right when he declared to me that she was more sinned against than
sinning."

"Then in that case you will be able to influence her," returned Dinah
quickly. "Tell her from me, Mr. Herrick, that if she persists in
marrying my poor boy, she will be marrying a pauper; that on the day
the marriage takes place I shall alter my will, and that my sister
Elizabeth will be my heir. Tell her this, and I will write to Cedric
and let him know what he has to expect."

"Do you really mean this?" asked Malcolm, much impressed by this
unexpected resolution on the part of one usually so yielding and gentle.

"I mean every word," returned Dinah firmly. "Yes,