f him, hoping to obtain some news of Bathurst. But
he only bowed, as if to a queen, placed in her hand a small, sealed
envelope; and before she could utter a word, she was standing alone in
the crape-hung hall, while the boy's steps could be heard ringing on the
stones outside.

Standing there, Constance hastily opened the envelope. It contained a
letter and a scrap of paper. Glancing first at the scrap, she read these
words:

MISS WARDOUR--

Enclosed find a letter, which, for reasons which I shall explain
later, I pilfered from you on the night of our first meeting. It
has accomplished the purpose for which I took it, and I hasten to
restore it.

BATHURST.

Constance turned her eye once more upon the paper in her hand, looked
closer and exclaimed: "It is; it is Sybil's lost letter!"

CHAPTER XXXIX.

"WILL LOVE OUTWEIGH HONOR?"

"Dr. Heath, here is another visitor."

Clifford Heath turned slowly away from the small iron-barred window; he
looked a trifle disturbed by this announcement, for he had just been
interviewed by Mr. O'Meara, who for the first time had presented Mr.
Wedron, and the two had left him much to think about.

The look of annoyance left his face, however, and a stare of surprise
took its place, when, following upon the footsteps of the janitor, came
Constance Wardour, not closely veiled and drooping, after the manner of
prison-visiting females in orthodox novels, but with her fair face
unconcealed, and her graceful figure at its proudest poise.

The haughtiness all departed from face and bearing, however, when the
door closed behind her and she found herself alone with the man she had
falsely accused.

Misfortune had not humbled Clifford Heath. When the first momentary look
of surprise had left his face, he stood before her as proudly erect, as
icily courteous, as if he were receiving her in his own parlor.

"Doctor Heath," began Constance, in low, contrite tones, "some months
ago I brought a wrongful accusation against you. I wronged you deeply;
let me do myself the justice to say that almost immediately I was
convinced of the injustice I had done you, of the utter insanity of my
own behavior, but--" blushing rosily, "I never found the letter, and how
could I come to you and say, I have changed my mind, without a reason.
Less than an hour ago, this note was put into my hands, and with it that
unfortunate lost letter. This enables me to say,--Doctor