for you was a
brief hallucination. Let it be forgotten. The memory to me is
humiliating. You must think of me only as the wife of Regulas Rothsay."

"As the widow, you would say. Surely that widowhood can be no bar to my
suit."

"I do not call myself the widow of Rule Rothsay, but his wife," said
Cora, solemnly.

"But, my dear lady, surely death has--"

"Death has not," said Cora, fervently interrupting him--"death cannot
sever two souls as united as ours. I mean to spend the years I have to
live on earth, temporarily and partially separated from my husband, in
good works of which he would approve; with which he would sympathize and
which would draw his spirit into closer communion with mine; and I hope
at that ascension to the higher life which we miscall death to meet him
face to face, to be able to tell him, 'I have finished my work, I have
kept the faith,' and to be with him forever in one of the many mansions
of the Father's kingdom."

"I see," said the suitor, with a deep sigh, "that my suit would be
utterly useless at present. But I will not give up the hope that is my
life--the hope that you may yet look with favor on my love. I will merit
that you should do so. Cora Rothsay, I will no longer vex you with my
presence in this house. I will take leave of you even now, and only ask
of your courtesy the use of a dog cart to take me to the North End
Hotel."

"You are good, you are very good to me, and I pray with all my heart
that you may meet some woman much more worthy of your grace than am I,
and that you may be very happy. God bless you, Duke of Cumbervale," said
Cora, earnestly.

He lifted her hand to his lips, kissed it, bowed over it and silently
left the room.

Cora stepped after him and shut the door; then she hastened across the
floor, threw herself down on the sofa, buried her face in the cushions
and gave way to the flood of tears that flowed in sympathy with the pain
she had given. Meantime the duke went up to his room and rang for his
valet.

That grave and accomplished gentleman came at once.

"Dubois, go down and order the dogcart to be at the door in half an
hour; then return here to assist me."

The Frenchman bowed profoundly and withdrew.

"I have come a long way for a disappointment," murmured the rejected
lover, as he threw himself languidly upon the outside of the bed and
clasped his hands above his head. "A fanatic she certainly is. A lunatic
also most probably. Yet I cannot ge