ny
man's fall? But, my child, I must ask you a question that I have been
waiting to ask you all this time. Why did you not interfere to stop this
felonious marriage before it took place? What timidity, what weakness,
or what pride was it that restrained your hand from acting in time to
prevent this fearful crime of Mr. Lytton, this awful wrong to Miss
Cavendish, from being consummated?" gravely and sadly inquired the
minister.

"Oh, sir, how can you ask me such a question? Do you suppose that if I
had had the remotest suspicion of what was going on I should not have
interfered and prevented it at all hazards--yes, even at the sacrifice
of my own life, if that had been necessary?"

"You did not know of this beforehand then?"

"Why, certainly not!"

"Nor suspect it?"

"Assuredly not! I had not the least knowledge nor the faintest suspicion
that anything of the sort was contemplated by Mr. Lytton until after it
was all over. The first I heard of it was from the Misses Crane, who
wrote me at Forestville that Mr. and Mrs. Alden Lytton, the bride and
bridegroom from Blue Cliffs, had called on me during my absence. The
news, when it was confirmed, nearly killed me. But think of the insanity
of their calling on me! But I know that was Emma's wish. And I feel sure
that Mr. Lytton must have known of my absence from town or he never
would have ventured to bring his deceived bride into my home."

"No, indeed; probably not. Well, my poor child, I have shown you your
painful duty. See that you do not falter in it," said the rector, as he
rose to take leave.

"I will not," answered Mary Grey.

"I will call at ten o'clock to-morrow morning to take you to Mr.
Desmond's office."

"I will be ready."

And the minister took his leave.

Punctual to his appointment, the next morning at ten o'clock the rector
called for Mary Grey and took her in his own carriage to the office of
Philip Desmond, one of the most talented among the rising young
barristers of Richmond.

Mr. Desmond enjoyed a high reputation not only as a professional man but
as a private gentleman.

But he was the professional rival and the political opponent of Mr.
Alden Lytton. They were always engaged on opposite sides of the same
case; and on several important occasions Alden Lytton had gained a
triumph over Philip Desmond.

He was, therefore, more astonished than grieved when the rector, after
introducing Mary Grey under the name of Mrs. Alden Lytton, proc