nt it, too?"

Her hand turned cold in mine; but she spoke firmly when she said: "Yes."

I gave her into Philip's care. It was his privilege to console and
support her. It was my duty to say the decisive words:

"Rouse your courage, dear Eunice; you are no more affected by Helena's
disgrace than I am. You are not her sister. Her father is not your
father; her mother was not your mother. I was present, in the time of
your infancy, when Mr. Gracedieu's fatherly kindness received you as his
adopted child. This, I declare to you both, on my word of honor, is the
truth."

How she bore it I am not able to say. My foolish old eyes were filling
with tears. I could just see plainly enough to find my way to the door,
and leave them together.

In my reckless state of mind, I never asked myself if Time would be my
accomplice, and keep the part of the secret which I had not revealed--or
be my enemy, and betray me. The chances, either way, were perhaps equal.
The deed was done.

CHAPTER LXIV. THE TRUTH TRIUMPHANT.

The marriage was deferred, at Eunice's request, as an expression of
respect to the memory of Philip's father.

When the time of delay had passed, it was arranged that the wedding
ceremony should be held--after due publication of Banns--at the parish
church of the London suburb in which my house was situated. Miss
Jillgall was bridesmaid, and I gave away the bride. Before we set out
for the church, Eunice asked leave to speak with me for a moment in
private.

"Don't think," she said, "that I am forgetting my promise to be content
with what you have told me about myself. I am not so ungrateful as that.
But I do want, before I consent to be Philip's wife, to feel sure that I
am not quite unworthy of him. Is it because I am of mean birth that you
told me I was Mr. Gracedieu's adopted child--and told me no more?"

I could honestly satisfy her, so far. "Certainly not!" I said.

She put her arms round my neck. "Do you say that," she asked, "to make
my mind easy? or do you say it on your word of honor?"

"On my word of honor."

We arrived at the church. Let Miss Jillgall describe the marriage, in
her own inimitable way.

"No wedding breakfast, when you don't want to eat it. No wedding
speeches, when nobody wants to make them, and nobody wants to hear
them. And no false sentiment, shedding tears and reddening noses, on the
happiest day in the whole year. A model marriage! I could desire nothing
better, if I had