fell. When I was close to
her, Mr. Trelawny let go my hand, and, looking his daughter straight in
the face, said:

"If things are as I fancy, we shall not have any secrets between us.
Malcolm Ross knows so much of my affairs already, that I take it he
must either let matters stop where they are and go away in silence, or
else he must know more. Margaret! are you willing to let Mr. Ross see
your wrist?"

She threw one swift look of appeal in his eyes; but even as she did so
she seemed to make up her mind. Without a word she raised her right
hand, so that the bracelet of spreading wings which covered the wrist
fell back, leaving the flesh bare. Then an icy chill shot through me.

On her wrist was a thin red jagged line, from which seemed to hang red
stains like drops of blood!

She stood there, a veritable figure of patient pride.

Oh! but she looked proud! Through all her sweetness, all her dignity,
all her high-souled negation of self which I had known, and which never
seemed more marked than now--through all the fire that seemed to shine
from the dark depths of her eyes into my very soul, pride shone
conspicuously. The pride that has faith; the pride that is born of
conscious purity; the pride of a veritable queen of Old Time, when to
be royal was to be the first and greatest and bravest in all high
things. As we stood thus for some seconds, the deep, grave voice of her
father seemed to sound a challenge in my ears:

"What do you say now?"

My answer was not in words. I caught Margaret's right hand in mine as
it fell, and, holding it tight, whilst with the other I pushed back the
golden cincture, stooped and kissed the wrist. As I looked up at her,
but never letting go her hand, there was a look of joy on her face such
as I dream of when I think of heaven. Then I faced her father.

"You have my answer, sir!" His strong face looked gravely sweet. He
only said one word as he laid his hand on our clasped ones, whilst he
bent over and kissed his daughter:

"Good!"

We were interrupted by a knock at the door. In answer to an impatient
"Come in!" from Mr. Trelawny, Mr. Corbeck entered. When he saw us
grouped he would have drawn back; but in an instant Mr. Trelawny had
sprung forth and dragged him forward. As he shook him by both hands,
he seemed a transformed man. All the enthusiasm of his youth, of which
Mr. Corbeck had told us, seemed to have come back to him in an instant.

"So you have got t