ired to see her.

She was incredulous, required the servant to repeat the name. Mr. Eldon
was in the drawing-room and desired to see her.

There must have been some error, some oversight in the legal business.
Oh, it was inhuman to torture her in this way! Careless of what her
countenance might indicate, she hastened to the drawing-room. She could
feign no longer. Let him think what he would, so that he spoke briefly
and released her.

But as soon as she entered the room she knew that he had not come to
talk of business. He was pale and agitated. As he did not speak at once
she said:

'I thought you were gone. I thought you left England last night.'

'I meant to do so, but found it impossible. I could not go till I had
seen you once more.'

'What more have you to say to me?'

She knew that she was speaking recklessly, without a thought for
dignity. Her question sounded as if it had been extorted from her by
pain.

'That if I go away from you now and finally, I go without a hope to
support my life. You are everything to me. You are offended; you shrink
from me. It is what I expected. Years ago, when I loved you without
knowing what my love really meant, I flung away every chance in a moment
of boyish madness. When I should have consecrated every thought to the
hope of winning you, I made myself contemptible in your eyes--worse, I
made you loathe me. When it was too late I understood what I had
done. Then I loved you as a man loves the one woman whom he supremely
reverences, as I love you, and, I believe, shall always love you. I
could not go without saying this to you. I am happier in speaking the
words than I ever remember to have been in my life before.'

Adela's bosom heaved, but excess of joy seemed to give her power to deal
lightly with the gift that was offered her.

'Why did you not say this the last time?' she asked. One would have
said, from her tone, that it was a question of the merest curiosity. She
did not realise the words that passed her lips.

'Because the distance between us seemed too great. I began to speak of
that money in the thought that it might lead me on. It had the opposite
effect. You showed me how cold you could be. It is natural enough.
Perhaps your sympathies are too entirely remote; and yet not long ago
you talked with me as if your interests could be much the same as mine.
I can understand that you suppress that side of your nature. You think
me useless in the world. And inde