se to doubt your love."

"As you say, regrets are useless, but that thought only adds to my
torture, I can only compare my present wretchedness with the happy lot
which might have been mine, but for my own folly," he said sadly, "but
you must help me."

"How can I help you," exclaimed Isabel.

"It is you alone who can, for you are the only person who ever had any
influence over me, you must help to keep me right. Will you not forgive
me Isabel, and let me be a friend--a brother."

"Thank heaven I have no such brother," exclaimed Isabel fervently, "for
I should feel very much inclined to disown him if I had. Friends we can
never be Dr. Taschereau, as I told you before, whenever and wherever we
meet, it must be as strangers."

"As you will," he said bitterly, "but since you will not have me for
your friend, you shall have me for a foe."

"Think not to intimidate me with idle threats," she answered haughtily,
"you have no power to harm me, and I feel assured that as your love is
worthless, so in the end your hatred will prove harmless."

"That is as it may be, but still I had much rather that we were
friends."

"If an enemy, I defy you, my friend you can never be."

"As you will," he returned fiercely, "but remember if I go to the bad,
with you will rest the blame," and then he disappeared through the wood.

"And what is his wife about during this conversation, writing to her
cousin. Let us take a peep at the letter.

DEAREST MARIE.--I am happy--very happy, how could I be otherwise
with my noble Louis, he is so kind, so thoughtful and considerate,
he would not let me accompany him to-day, because I was so tired
with the journey yesterday, so I take the opportunity thus
afforded me to write to you. Oh Marie, how could you ever suppose
that he married me for my money, how could you form so mean an
opinion of my generous, noble, high minded Louis, you wrong him
Marie, indeed you do. True, he is more reserved than is pleasant,
but I presume that is because I am so childish as papa used to
say. Would you believe I had a jealous fit about a packet that he
received from a lady, which he refused to open when I asked him.
Well he sat up very very late that night, and I took it into my
stupid little head that his sitting up had something to do with
the packet, and the thought so possessed me, that I got up and
went softly into the library, and there he was in a