nk that he would not hold me to my explanation. Is
that one of the conclusions which you draw from Lady Janet's letter?"

"Most assuredly," Julian answered. "You will see the conclusion as I
see it if we return for a moment to Grace Roseberry's departure from the
house."

Mercy interrupted him there. "Can you guess," she asked, "how Lady Janet
prevailed upon her to go?"

"I hardly like to own it," said Julian. "There is an expression in the
letter which suggests to me that Lady Janet has offered her money, and
that she has taken the bribe."

"Oh, I can't think that!"

"Let us return to Horace. Miss Roseberry once out of the house, but one
serious obstacle is left in Lady Janet's way. That obstacle is Horace
Holmcroft."

"How is Horace an obstacle?"

"He is an obstacle in this sense. He is under an engagement to marry you
in a week's time; and Lady Janet is determined to keep him (as she is
determined to keep every one else) in ignorance of the truth. She will
do that without scruple. But the inbred sense of honor in her is not
utterly silenced yet. She cannot, she dare not, let Horace make you
his wife under the false impression that you are Colonel Roseberry's
daughter. You see the situation? On the one hand, she won't enlighten
him. On the other hand, she cannot allow him to marry you blindfold. In
this emergency what is she to do? There is but one alternative that I
can discover. She must persuade Horace (or she must irritate Horace)
into acting for himself, and breaking off the engagement on his own
responsibility."

Mercy stopped him. "Impossible!" she cried, warmly. "Impossible!"

"Look again at her letter," Julian rejoined. "It tells, you plainly that
you need fear no embarrassment when you next meet Horace. If words
mean anything, those words mean that he will not claim from you the
confidence which you have promised to repose in him. On what condition
is it possible for him to abstain from doing that? On the one condition
that you have ceased to represent the first and foremost interest of his
life."

Mercy still held firm. "You are wronging Lady Janet," she said.

Julian smiled sadly.

"Try to look at it," he answered, "from Lady Janet's point of view. Do
you suppose _she_ sees anything derogatory to her in attempting to break
off the marriage? I will answer for it, she believes she is doing you a
kindness. In one sense it _would_ be a kindness to spare you the shame
of a humiliating confession