t of woman. But there was a question with him
whether the accidents of her birth and fortune had not removed her
from the possibility of such joy as that. How would it be with her,
and him too, if, in after life, she should rebuke him because he
had not allowed her to be the wife of a nobleman? And how would it
be with him if hereafter men said of him that he held her to an
oath extracted from her in her childhood because of her wealth? He
had been able to answer Mr. Flick on that head, but he had more
difficulty in answering himself.

He had written to his father after the Countess had left the house
in which he lodged, and his father had answered him. The old man was
not much given to the writing of letters. "About Lady Lovel and her
daughter," said he, "I won't take no more trouble, nor shouldn't you.
She and you is different, and must be." And that was all he said.
Yes;--he and Lady Anna were different, and must remain so. Of a
morning, when he went fresh to his work, he would resolve that he
would send her word that she was entirely free from him, and would
bid her do according to the nature of the Lovels. But in the evening,
as he would wander back, slowly, all alone, tired of his work, tired
of the black solitude of the life he was leading, longing for some
softness to break the harsh monotony of his labour, he would remember
all her prettinesses, and would, above all, remember the pretty oaths
with which she had sworn that she, Anna Lovel, loved him, Daniel
Thwaite, with all the woman's love which a woman could give. He
would remember the warm kiss which had seemed to make fresh for hours
his dry lips, and would try to believe that the bliss of which he
had thought so much might still be his own. Had she abandoned him,
had she assented to a marriage with the Earl, he would assuredly
have heard of it. He also knew well the day fixed for the trial,
and understood the importance which would be attached to an early
marriage, should that be possible,--or at least to a public
declaration of an engagement. At any rate she had not as yet been
false to him.

One day he received at his place of work the following note;--

DEAR MR. THWAITE,

I wish to speak to you on most important business.
Could you call on me to-morrow at eight o'clock in the
evening,--here?

Yours very faithfully and always grateful,

J. LOVEL.

And then the Countess had added her address in Keppel Street;--the
very add