w why it was, Madame, but I never felt that he loved Arthur really,
though Arthur had done a great deal for him, got him his commission in
the army, and paid off some of his debts; but he never seemed as if he
quite forgave Arthur for standing in the way of his being the lord of
the manor himself and possessor of Aylesford. There are some
mean-spirited people who are proud too. They can receive favors, while
they resent the obligation. He was of that kind, I think, and hated
Arthur for his very generosity.

"'One evening, as I was walking up the shrubbery, I met Marmaduke. He
had ridden over with Arthur, as they often did, to spend the evening. He
had caught sight of me, he said, as they came up the avenue, and, under
pretext of something being wrong with his horse's bridle, had stopped,
and let Arthur go on to the house alone. He had long waited for this
opportunity of speaking to me alone, he said, as I must have known.
Then, amid the basest of vague insinuations against Arthur, he dared to
proffer me his odious love. Oh, Madame, I was angry! A woman cannot bear
feigned love,--it stings like hatred; still less can she bear to hear
one she loves spoken of as I had heard him speak of Arthur. I hardly
know what I said, but it must have expressed my feeling; for he tried to
taunt me in return with being in love with Arthur and _Aylesford_. I
only smiled, and walked on. Then he sprang after me, and vowed I should
not leave him so,--that he loved me madly, spite of my scorn, spite of
my foolish words. He knew well I did not love Arthur, that I was
ambitious only. So was he,--and so determined in his purpose, that he
was sure to succeed in it, spite of everything. "For there are few
things," he added, "that can stand against my settled will. Beware,
then, how you cross it, sweet Lina!" I shook my cloak loose from his
hand, for his words sent a thrill of horror through me, and rushed on,
speechless with indignation, to the house. Two days after this I became
engaged to Arthur. How happy we were!' said Lina, a dreamy expression
passing over her face at the retrospect.

"'I told Arthur everything about my home; but I did not tell him of my
conversation with Marmaduke in the shrubbery, because I could not bear
to give him the pain which a discovery of his cousin's baseness would
have caused him. Marmaduke, I perceived, knew that I had not betrayed
him; for one night, as I was sitting at the piano, he thanked me
hastily, as he t