,--

"Yes; suspect me! suspect me, if you will! only give me time! Send me
to prison, innocent as I am--innocent as that child there above--would
God I were dying like her!--Only give me time! O misery! I had hoped
you had forgotten--that it was lost in the sea--that--what am I
saying?--Only give me time!"--and she dropped on her knees before him,
wringing her hands.

"Miss Harvey! This is not worthy of you. If you be innocent, as I
don't doubt, what more do you need--or I?"

He took her hands, and lifted her up: but she still kept looking down,
round, upwards, like a hunted deer, and pleading in words which seemed
sobbed out--as by some poor soul on the rack--between choking spasms
of agony.

"Oh, I don't know,--God help me! O Lord, help me! I will try and find
it--I know I shall find it! only have patience; have patience with me
a little, and I know I shall bring it you; and then--and then you will
forgive?--forgive?"

And she laid her hands upon his arms, and looked up in his face with a
piteous smile of entreaty.

She had never looked so beautiful as at that moment. The devil saw it;
and entered into the heart of Thomas Thurnall. He caught her in his
arms, kissed away her tears, stopped her mouth with kisses. "Yes! I'll
wait--wait for ever, if you will! I'll lose another belt, for such
another look as that!"

She was bewildered for a moment, poor fond wretch, at finding herself
where she would gladly have stayed for ever: but quickly she recovered
her reason.

"Let me go!" she cried, struggling. "This is not right! Let me go,
sir!" and she tried to cover her burning cheeks with her hands.

"I will not, Grace! I love you! I love you, I tell you!"

"You do not, sir!" and she struggled still more fiercely. "Do not
deceive yourself! Me you cannot deceive! Let me go, I say! You could
not demean yourself to love a poor girl like me!"

Utterly losing his head, Tom ran on with passionate words.

"No, sir! you know that I am not fit to be your wife: and do you fancy
that I--"

Maddened now, Tom went on, ere he was aware, from a foolish deed to a
base speech.

"I know nothing, but that I shall keep you in pawn for my belt. Till
that is at least restored, you are in my power, Grace! Remember that!"

She thrust him away with so sudden and desperate a spasm, that he was
forced to let her go. She stood gazing at him, a trembling deer no
longer, but rather a lioness at bay, her face flashing beautiful
indignat