bject on which he was
bent,--considering all this, Madame de Ventadour had ventured to address
Miss Cameron's mother, and to guard her against the possibility of
design or deceit. Her best apology for her intrusion must be her deep
interest in Miss Cameron, and her long friendship for one to whom Miss
Cameron had been so lately betrothed. If Lady Vargrave were aware of
the new engagement, and had sanctioned it, of course her intrusion was
unseasonable and superfluous; but if ascribed to its real motive, would
not be the less forgiven.

It was easy for Maltravers to see in this letter how generous and
zealous had been that friendship for himself which could have induced
the woman of the world to undertake so officious a task. But of this
he thought not, as he hurried over the lines, and shuddered at Evelyn's
urgent danger.

"This intelligence," said Aubrey, "must be, indeed, a surprise to Lady
Vargrave. For we have not heard a word from Evelyn or Lord Vargrave to
announce such a marriage; and she (and myself till this day) believed
that the engagement between Evelyn and Mr. -----, I mean," said Aubrey
with confusion,--"I mean yourself, was still in force. Lord Vargrave's
villany is apparent; we must act immediately. What is to be done?"

"I will return to Paris to-morrow; I will defeat his machination, expose
his falsehood!"

"You may need a proxy for Lady Vargrave, an authority for Evelyn; one
whom Lord Vargrave knows to possess the secret of her birth, her rights:
I will go with you. We must speak to Lady Vargrave."

Maltravers turned sharply round. "And Alice knows not who I am; that
I--I am, or was, a few weeks ago, the suitor of another; and that other
the child she has reared as her own! Unhappy Alice! in the very hour of
her joy at my return, is she to writhe beneath this new affliction?"

"Shall I break it to her?" said Aubrey, pityingly.

"No, no; these lips must inflict the last wrong!" Maltravers walked
away, and the curate saw him no more till night.

In the interval, and late in the evening, Maltravers rejoined Alice.

The fire burned clear on the hearth, the curtains were drawn, the
pleasant but simple drawing-room of the cottage smiled its welcome as
Maltravers entered, and Alice sprang up to greet him! It was as if the
old days of the music-lesson and the meerschaum had come back.

"This is yours," said Alice, tenderly, as he looked round the apartment.
"Now--now I know what a blessed thing ric