ner than words.

She did not reply to this, but rose and paced the floor, coldly at
first, but afterwards with a certain degree of excitement that proved
to be the prelude to a change in her manner; for, suddenly pausing, she
turned to me and said: "Mr. Clavering has left R----, Mrs. Belden."

"Left!"

"Yes, my uncle commanded me to dismiss him, and I obeyed."

The work dropped from my hands, in my heartfelt disappointment. "Ah!
then he knows of your engagement to Mr. Clavering?"

"Yes; he had not been in the house five minutes before Eleanore told
him."

"Then _she_ knew?"

"Yes," with a half sigh. "She could hardly help it. I was foolish enough
to give her the cue in my first moment of joy and weakness. I did
not think of the consequences; but I might have known. She is so
conscientious."

"I do not call it conscientiousness to tell another's secrets," I
returned.

"That is because you are not Eleanore."

Not having a reply for this, I said, "And so your uncle did not regard
your engagement with favor?"

"Favor! Did I not tell you he would never allow me to marry an
Englishman? He said he would sooner see me buried."

"And you yielded? Made no struggle? Let the hard, cruel man have his
way?"

She was walking off to look again at that picture which had attracted
her attention the time before, but at this word gave me one little
sidelong look that was inexpressibly suggestive.

"I obeyed him when he commanded, if that is what you mean."

"And dismissed Mr. Clavering after having given him your word of honor
to be his wife?"

"Why not, when I found I could not keep my word."

"Then you have decided not to marry him?"

She did not reply at once, but lifted her face mechanically to the
picture.

"My uncle would tell you that I had decided to be governed wholly by
his wishes!" she responded at last with what I felt was self-scornful
bitterness.

Greatly disappointed, I burst into tears. "Oh, Mary!" I cried, "Oh,
Mary!" and instantly blushed, startled that I had called her by her
first name.

But she did not appear to notice.

"Have you any complaint to make?" she asked. "Is it not my manifest
duty to be governed by my uncle's wishes? Has he not brought me up from
childhood? lavished every luxury upon me? made me all I am, even to the
love of riches which he has instilled into my soul with every gift he
has thrown into my lap, every word he has dropped into my ear, since I
was old enough to kn