that evening that she had positively refused to give any aid to her
cousin in that matter relating to Burgo Fitzgerald.

"And do you remember how the moon shone then?"

"Yes, I think I do."

"I know I do. As we came round the corner out of Cavendish Square he
was standing there,--and a friend of yours was standing with him."

"What friend of mine?"

"Never mind that; it does not matter now."

"Do you mean my cousin George?"

"Yes, I do mean your cousin; and oh, Alice! dear Alice! I don't know
why I should love you, for if you had not been hardhearted that
night,--stony cruel in your hard propriety, I should have gone with
him then, and all this icy coldness would have been prevented."

She was standing quite close to Alice, and as she spake she shook
with shivering and wrapped her furs closer and still closer about
her.

"You are very cold," said Alice. "We had better go in."

"No, I am not cold,--not in that way. I won't go in yet. Jeffrey will
come to us directly. Yes;--we should have escaped that night if you
would have allowed him to come into your house. Ah, well! we didn't,
and there's an end of it."

"But Glencora,--you cannot regret it."

"Not regret it! Alice, where can your heart be? Or have you a heart?
Not regret it! I would give everything I have in the world to have
been true to him. They told me that he would spend my money. Though
he should have spent every farthing of it, I regret it; though he
should have made me a beggar, I regret it. They told me that he would
ill-use me, and desert me,--perhaps beat me. I do not believe it; but
even though that should have been so, I regret it. It is better to
have a false husband than to be a false wife."

"Glencora, do not speak like that. Do not try to make me think that
anything could tempt you to be false to your vows."

"Tempt me to be false! Why, child, it has been all false throughout.
I never loved him. How can you talk in that way, when you know that
I never loved him? They browbeat me and frightened me till I did as
I was told;--and now;--what am I now?"

"You are his honest wife. Glencora, listen to me." And Alice took
hold of her arm.

"No," she said, "no; I am not honest. By law I am his wife; but the
laws are liars! I am not his wife. I will not say the thing that I
am. When I went to him at the altar, I knew that I did not love the
man that was to be my husband. But him,--Burgo,--I love him with all
my heart and soul. I could st