been made known to him."

"It would have been made known to him."

"Just so. But unfortunately he was first allowed to hear it from
another quarter. How it was told from thence you and I do not know."

"I saw the letter to him from Sir Francis Geraldine. There was no
such statement in it as that you have now made. The tone of the
letter was ungentlemanlike and abominable; but the facts as declared
were true."

"Do you believe then that he has invented this falsehood against you,
to excuse himself?"

"No," said the deserted wife; "I do not think he invented it."

"Nor I. How was it then that the idea has made its way into his
brain?"

"He is suspicious," said Mrs. Western, speaking very slowly.

"Yes; he is suspicious. It is the fault of his character. But he is
true and honest, and affectionate, and is by no means exacting or
self-seeking. You have no right to expect that your husband should be
perfect;--nor has he a right to expect it of you. He had no idea of
this engagement till it was told by him who of all men was bound not
to tell him."

The conversation was carried on after this for a considerable time,
but was left chiefly in the hands of Lady Grant. Two or three times
Mrs. Western put in a word, but it was always to ask what might be
the effect upon him when he should have learned the tidings which she
had sent him. Lady Grant seemed to think that he would of course come
back and again take his wife to his bosom, as soon as he should be
made to understand all the exact facts as to her intercourse with Sir
Francis Geraldine and as to her quarrel with him. But poor Cecilia
seemed to believe more in the coming of the little stranger. "He can
reject me," she once said, with mingled bitterness and hope, "but I
cannot believe that such as he should reject his own child."

But neither then nor on the following day, which was the last that
Lady Grant allowed herself at Exeter, could she be induced to send to
her husband a single word asking his pardon. "No," she said, holding
her head aloft as she spoke; "it is for me to pardon him. If he wants
my pardon he shall have it. He need not ask for it, but if he comes
he shall have it."

CHAPTER XVII.

MISS ALTIFIORLA RISES IN THE WORLD.

During this time a correspondence, more or less regular, was
maintained between Miss Altifiorla and Sir Francis Geraldine. Sir
Francis had gone to Scotland for the shooting, and rather liked the
interest of Miss Alt