had a feeling that, sooner or later,
May would confide in him. She stopped suddenly and raised her eyes to
his.

"I am going to ask you a question," she said. "I want you to put
yourself in my place for a moment. Suppose that the honour and fortune
of the family rested in my hands, and it was for me to say whether the
Haredales were to leave this old place in poverty and disgrace, or
whether they were to stay on occupying the old position, what would you
do?"

"It depends on circumstances," Fielden said.

"Of course it does, my dear boy. I didn't expect you to make such a tame
reply as that. Surely you must know what I mean. It is for me to decide.
I have the opportunity of bringing into the family the necessary money
to set everything right. But at a price."

"As usual," Fielden, said sadly. "The price happens to be yourself."

"You have guessed it. The price is myself. I suppose it would be no news
to you if I told you who the man was."

"Not after last night," Fielden said between his teeth. "So Raymond
Copley has asked you to marry him. I suppose it is the old story which
one has read in books and newspapers a thousand times. Copley has got
your father under his thumb and has threatened to ruin him, unless you
consent to be his wife. I am not a very shrewd person, but I felt sure
of this when we came home last night. You refused Copley, of course, and
he took his refusal in the way such a cad would. He threatened you and
said he had your father on his side. And now you are hesitating what to
do. You have said that no power on earth shall force you to consent,
that you cannot save the family honour at such a price. You are right,
May. It is a vile thing to ask of a girl. It is so mean and
dishonourable. Heaven knows, I care for your welfare. I never knew how
much I did care till we met in London the other night. Then I realized
for the first time the price I am paying for my folly. If I hadn't been
a fool, you would be my wife to-day, and it would have been my pleasure
and privilege to help Sir George out of his trouble. Can you ever
forgive me?"

May turned a tearful face towards Fielden. Impulsively she held out her
hands to him, and he caught them almost fiercely. They were alone on
the wide stretch of Downs. Not a soul was in sight. Neither knew how it
happened, but a moment later Fielden's arms were about the girl, and she
was crying unrestrainedly upon his shoulder. There was only one thing
for it, and