ural that I should begin to congratulate myself on the prospect
before me of life-long protection from such wounds as I had received,
with the great satisfaction of increased dignity in point of social
position; for then, much more than now, and in a new country more than
in an old one, a woman's position depended on her relationship to men;
the wife of the most worthless man being the superior of an unmarried
woman. Accordingly I felt my promised importance, and began to exult in
it."

"In short, you were preparing to become much more subject to the second
love than the first; a not infrequent experience," I interrupted. "You
certainly must have loved a handsome, agreeable, courteous, and manly
man, who would have interposed between you and the rude shocks of the
world; and you had begun to realize that you could, in spite of your
first love?"

"And to have a feeling of disappointment when the possibility presented
itself that after all these blessings might be wrested from me; of
horror when I reflected that in that case my last estate would be
inexpressibly worse than the first."

"There was a terrible temptation there!"

"No; that was the one thing I was perfectly clear about. Not to be
dragged into crime or deserved disgrace, I was determined upon. How I
should avoid it was where I was in doubt."

"I am very anxious to know how you met him on his return."

"There was no one in the house except myself, and Benton, who was now
quite well again for the time. I was standing by the dining-room window,
arranging some ferns in a hanging basket, and Benton was amusing himself
with toys the boarders were always giving him. I heard a footstep, and
turned my head slightly to see who it was. Mr. Seabrook stood in the
door, regarding us with a pleased smile.

"'How is my wife and boy?' he said, cheerily, advancing towards me, and
proffering a kiss of greeting.

"I put up my hand to ward him off, and my heart stood motionless. I
seemed to be struck with a chill. My teeth chattered together, while the
ends of my fingers turned cold at once.

"Naturally, he was surprised; but thinking perhaps that the suddenness
of his return, under the circumstances, had overcome me, he quickly
recovered his tenderness of manner.

"'Have I frightened you, my darling?' he asked, putting out his arms to
fold me to his breast. Not being able to speak, I whirled round rapidly,
and hastened to place the table between us. Of course, he coul