e went on again.

'Strange to say, you were the cause of our first open quarrel, about
six months ago.'

'I? How?'

'You know you had not been to Rivermouth for some four years or more.
But I remembered you perfectly, and used always to ask George about
you when he came down from London. At last, on this occasion, he
happened to say he had a recent photograph of you. I got him to show
it to me, and then I wanted to keep it. He objected; I persisted, and
finally his jealousy was aroused.

'"You always liked Prescott better than me," he said.

'"I haven't even seen him for five years," I said. "I remember him as
an old friend, and I don't see why you should mind my taking an
interest in him."

'"Taking an interest!" he scoffed back. "I wish you would take an
interest in me. You have never asked me for my photograph, that I
recollect."

'But I needn't tell you all that we said. It ended in his accusing me
of not loving him, and in my saying that he was at liberty to find
someone else, if he was dissatisfied with me.

'But he--he would not take the release. He altered his tone all at
once and fell at my feet, protesting that he loved me above all
others, and that nothing should ever separate us.

'So things went on, he alternately courting me and threatening me, I
turning from coldness to dislike, and from dislike to detestation. But
I hadn't the courage to break my bondage, intolerable as I sometimes
felt it. Perhaps I should never have shaken myself free but for his
own action in bringing things to a crisis. Our letters had been
friendly for some time, and, at last, in the month of May, he threw
out a suggestion in one that it was time to think of our marriage.

'I took no notice of this. He repeated it more distinctly. Then I
wrote, objecting that I was far too young to think of such a thing for
some time to come. He took the alarm, came down by the next train, and
sought me out. We went together to a lonely part of the shore, and
there we came to a full explanation.

'Don't ask me what passed between us. He may be able to tell you. I
never can. Enough, that after four hours' agonized entreaty and storm
on his part, and agonized endurance on mine, we parted. I told him I
could never hold intercourse with him again on any footing, and left
him apparently resigned. That was just two days before my friend was
murdered.

'He left the place next day, and I did not see him again till after I
had been lodged in