might have a serious illness; but now,
Lord Arleigh, you will promise me that we shall be friends."

"Yes," he replied, "we will be friends."

So it was agreed that they should be strangers no longer--that they
should visit and exchange neighborly courtesies and civilities.

Chapter XXXIII.

The Earl of Mountdean and Lord Arleigh were walking up a steep hill one
day together, when the former feeling tired, they both sat down among
the heather to rest. There was a warm sun shining, a pleasant wind
blowing, and the purple heather seemed literally to dance around them.
They remained for some time in silence; it was the earl who broke it by
saying:

"How beautiful the heather is! And here indeed on this hill-top is
solitude! We might fancy ourselves quite alone in the world. By the way,
you have never told me, Arleigh, what it is that makes you so fond of
solitude."

"I have had a great trouble," he replied, briefly.

"A trouble! But one suffers a great deal before losing all interest in
life. You are so young, you cannot have suffered much."

"I know no other life so utterly helpless as my own."

The earl looked at him thoughtfully.

"I should like to know what your trouble is?" he said gently.

"I can tell you only one half of it," was the reply. "I fell in love
with one of the sweetest, fairest, purest of girls. How I loved her is
only known to myself. I suppose every man thinks his own love the
greatest and the best. My whole heart went out to this girl--with my
whole soul I loved her! She was below me in the one matter of worldly
wealth and position--above me in all other. When I first asked her to
marry me, she refused. She told me that the difference in our rank was
too great. She was most noble, most self-sacrificing; she loved me, I
know, most dearly, but she refused me. I was for some time unable to
overcome her opposition; at last I succeeded. I tell you no details
either of her name or where she lived, nor any other circumstances
connected with her--I tell you only this, that, once having won her
consent to our marriage, I seemed to have exchanged earth for Elysium.
Then we were married, not publicly and with great pomp, but as my
darling wished--privately and quietly. On the same day--my
wedding-day--I took her home. I cannot tell how great was my
happiness--no one could realize it. Believe me, Lord Mountdean, that she
herself is as pure as a saint, that I know no other woman at once so