elation--worse though that must now be than before she had
attempted to purchase silence by bribes. Her tormentors, never
believing her capable of acting upon such an intention, came again;
but she shut the door in their faces. They retreated, muttering
something; but she went to the back of the house, where David Heddegan
was.

She looked at him, unconscious of all. The case was serious; she knew
that well; and all the more serious in that she liked him better now
than she had done at first. Yet, as she herself began to see,
the secret was one that was sure to disclose itself. Her name and
Charles's stood indelibly written in the registers; and though a month
only had passed as yet it was a wonder that his clandestine union
with her had not already been discovered by his friends. Thus spurring
herself to the inevitable, she spoke to Heddegan.

'David, come indoors. I have something to tell you.'

He hardly regarded her at first. She had discerned that during
the last week or two he had seemed preoccupied, as if some private
business harassed him. She repeated her request. He replied with a
sigh, 'Yes, certainly, mee deer.'

When they had reached the sitting-room and shut the door she repeated,
faintly, 'David, I have something to tell you--a sort of tragedy I
have concealed. You will hate me for having so far deceived you; but
perhaps my telling you voluntarily will make you think a little better
of me than you would do otherwise.'

'Tragedy?' he said, awakening to interest. 'Much you can know about
tragedies, mee deer, that have been in the world so short a time!'

She saw that he suspected nothing, and it made her task the harder.
But on she went steadily. 'It is about something that happened before
we were married,' she said.

'Indeed!'

'Not a very long time before--a short time. And it is about a lover,'
she faltered.

'I don't much mind that,' he said mildly. 'In truth, I was in hopes
'twas more.'

'In hopes!'

'Well, yes.'

This screwed her up to the necessary effort. 'I met my old sweetheart.
He scorned me, chid me, dared me, and I went and married him. We were
coming straight here to tell you all what we had done; but he was
drowned; and I thought I would say nothing about him: and I married
you, David, for the sake of peace and quietness. I've tried to keep it
from you, but have found I cannot. There--that's the substance of it,
and you can never, never forgive me, I am sure!'

She spoke de