s
world, he must never hope to see me again."

I tried--very gently--to remonstrate. "At your age, and at his age," I
said, "surely there is hope?"

"There is no hope." She pressed her hand on her heart. "I know it, I
feel it, here."

"Oh, Eunice, it's hard for me to say that!"

"I will try to make it easier for you. Say that I have forgiven him--and
say no more."

CHAPTER XLIX. THE GOVERNOR ON HIS GUARD.

After leaving Eunice, my one desire was to be alone. I had much to think
of, and I wanted an opportunity of recovering myself. On my way out of
the house, in search of the first solitary place that I could discover,
I passed the room in which we had dined. The door was ajar. Before I
could get by it, Mrs. Tenbruggen stepped out and stopped me.

"Will you come in here for a moment?" she said. "The farmer has been
called away, and I want to speak to you."

Very unwillingly--but how could I have refused without giving
offense?--I entered the room.

"When you noticed my keeping my name from you," Mrs. Tenbruggen began,
"while Selina was with us, you placed me in an awkward position. Our
little friend is an excellent creature, but her tongue runs away with
her sometimes; I am obliged to be careful of taking her too readily
into my confidence. For instance, I have never told her what my name was
before I married. Won't you sit down?"

I had purposely remained standing as a hint to her not to prolong the
interview. The hint was thrown away; I took a chair.

"Selina's letters had informed me," she resumed, "that Mr. Gracedieu
was a nervous invalid. When I came to England, I had hoped to try what
massage might do to relieve him. The cure of their popular preacher
might have advertised me through the whole of the Congregational
sect. It was essential to my success that I should present myself as a
stranger. I could trust time and change, and my married name (certainly
not known to Mr. Gracedieu) to keep up my incognito. He would have
refused to see me if he had known that I was once Miss Chance."

I began to be interested.

Here was an opportunity, perhaps, of discovering what the Minister had
failed to remember when he had been speaking of this woman, and when
I had asked if he had ever offended her. I was especially careful in
making my inquiries.

"I remember how you spoke to Mr. Gracedieu," I said, "when you and he
met, long ago, in my rooms. But surely you don't think him capable
of vindictively reme