able for a few hours to leave her room. He asked
next if any reply to his letter had arrived. No reply had been received.

If Adela definitely abstained from writing to him, the conclusion would
be too plain to be mistaken. She had given him up--and who could blame
her?

There was a knock at the street-door. The mistress looked out.

"Here's Mr. Stone come back, sir!" she exclaimed joyfully--and hurried
away to let him in.

Cosway never looked up when his friend appeared.

"I knew I should succeed," said Stone. "I have seen your wife."

"Don't speak of her," cried Cosway. "I should have murdered her when I
saw her face, if I had not instantly left the house. I may be the death
of the wretch yet, if you presist in speaking of her!"

Stone put his hand kindly on his friend's shoulder.

"Must I remind you that you owe something to your old comrade?" he
asked. "I left my father and mother, the morning I got your letter--and
my one thought has been to serve you. Reward me. Be a man, and hear what
is your right and duty to know. After that, if you like, we will never
refer to the woman again."

Cosway took his hand, in silent acknowledgment that he was right. They
sat down together. Stone began.

"She is so entirely shameless," he said, "that I had no difficulty in
getting her to speak. And she so cordially hates you that she glories in
her own falsehood and treachery."

"Of course, she lies," Cosway said bitterly, "when she calls herself
Miss Benshaw?"

"No; she is really the daughter of the man who founded the great house
in the City. With every advantage that wealth and position could give
her the perverse creature married one of her father's clerks, who had
been deservedly dismissed from his situation. From that moment her
family discarded her. With the money procured by the sale of her
jewels, her husband took the inn which we have such bitter cause to
remember--and she managed the house after his death. So much for the
past. Carry your mind on now to the time when our ship brought us back
to England. At that date, the last surviving member of your wife's
family--her elder brother--lay at the point of death. He had taken his
father's place in the business, besides inheriting his father's fortune.
After a happy married life he was left a widower, without children;
and it became necessary that he should alter his will. He deferred
performing his duty. It was only at the time of his last illness that he
had