should become known here, and people
should discern the pride of my motive in hiding my humiliation? It would
be worse than if I had been frank at first, which I should have been but
for the credit of this child.'

Such grave reflections as these occupied her with increasing force; and
during their continuance she encountered a worthy man of noble birth and
title--Lord Icenway his name--whose seat was beyond Wintoncester, quite
at t'other end of Wessex. He being anxious to pay his addresses to her,
Maria willingly accepted them, though he was a plain man, older than
herself; for she discerned in a re-marriage a method of fortifying her
position against mortifying discoveries. In a few months their union
took place, and Maria lifted her head as Lady Icenway, and left with her
husband and child for his home as aforesaid, where she was quite unknown.

A justification, or a condemnation, of her step (according as you view
it) was seen when, not long after, she received a note from her former
husband Anderling. It was a hasty and tender epistle, and perhaps it was
fortunate that it arrived during the temporary absence of Lord Icenway.
His worthless wife, said Anderling, had just died in Quebec; he had gone
there to ascertain particulars, and had seen the unfortunate woman
buried. He now was hastening to England to repair the wrong he had done
his Maria. He asked her to meet him at Southampton, his port of arrival;
which she need be in no fear of doing, as he had changed his name, and
was almost absolutely unknown in Europe. He would remarry her
immediately, and live with her in any part of the Continent, as they had
originally intended, where, for the great love he still bore her, he
would devote himself to her service for the rest of his days.

Lady Icenway, self-possessed as it was her nature to be, was yet much
disturbed at this news, and set off to meet him, unattended, as soon as
she heard that the ship was in sight. As soon as they stood face to face
she found that she still possessed all her old influence over him, though
his power to fascinate her had quite departed. In his sorrow for his
offence against her, he had become a man of strict religious habits, self-
denying as a lenten saint, though formerly he had been a free and joyous
liver. Having first got him to swear to make her any amends she should
choose (which he was imagining must be by a true marriage), she informed
him that she had already wedded