er conduct from those who know her best more than confirms the
high opinion I have formed of her. The one drawback I can discover is
caused by a misfortune for which she is not responsible--the
misfortune of having a sister who is utterly unworthy of her. Does this
discovery--an unpleasant discovery, I grant you--destroy all those good
qualities in Miss Vanstone for which I love and admire her? Nothing of
the sort--it only makes her good qualities all the more precious to me
by contrast. If I am to have a drawback to contend with--and who
expects anything else in this world?--I would infinitely rather have the
drawback attached to my wife's sister than to my wife. My wife's sister
is not essential to my happiness, but my wife is. In my opinion, sir,
Mrs. Noel Vanstone has done mischief enough already. I don't see the
necessity of letting her do more mischief, by depriving me of a good
wife. Right or wrong, that is my point of view. I don't wish to trouble
you with any questions of sentiment. All I wish to say is that I am old
enough by this time to know my own mind, and that my mind is made up.
If my marriage is essential to the execution of your intentions on my
behalf, there is only one woman in the world whom I _can_ marry, and
that woman is Miss Vanstone."

There was no resisting this plain declaration. Admiral Bartram rose from
his chair without making any reply, and walked perturbedly up and down
the room.

The situation was emphatically a serious one. Mrs. Girdlestone's death
had already produced the failure of one of the two objects contemplated
by the Secret Trust. If the third of May arrived and found George a
single man, the second (and last) of the objects would then have failed
in its turn. In little more than a fortnight, at the very latest, the
Banns must be published in Ossory church, or the time would fail for
compliance with one of the stipulations insisted on in the Trust.
Obstinate as the admiral was by nature, strongly as he felt the
objections which attached to his nephew's contemplated alliance, he
recoiled in spite of himself, as he paced the room and saw the facts on
either side immovably staring him in the face.

"Are you engaged to Miss Vanstone?" he asked, suddenly.

"No, sir," replied George. "I thought it due to your uniform kindness to
me to speak to you on the subject first."

"Much obliged, I'm sure. And you have put off speaking to me to the last
moment, just as you put off everyth