o the room, and this is what I saw. Your
aunt was lying on the sofa in her wedding dress (that is, in half of
it, for she had only the skirt on), as I first thought, asleep. I went
up to her, and saw that by her side was a brandy bottle, half empty.
In her hand also was a glass containing raw brandy. While I was
wondering what it could mean, she woke up, got off the sofa, and I saw
that she was intoxicated."

"It's a lie!" said Edward excitedly.

"Be careful what you say, sir," answered the Colonel, "and wait to say
it till I have done."

"As soon as I realised what was the matter, I left the room again, and
going down to your grandfather's study, where he was engaged in
writing a sermon, I asked him to come upstairs, as I feared that his
daughter was not well. He came and saw, and the sight threw him off
his balance, for he broke out into a torrent of explanations and
excuses, from which in time I extracted the following facts:--It
appeared that ever since she was a child, Miss Heston had been
addicted to drinking fits, and that it was on account of this
constitutional weakness, which was of course concealed from me, that
she had been allowed to engage herself to a penniless subaltern. It
appeared, too, that the habit was hereditary, for her mother had died
from the effects of drink, and one of her aunts had become mad from
it.

"I went away and thought the matter over, and came to the conclusion
that under these circumstances it would be impossible for me, much as
I was attached to your aunt, to marry her, because even if I were
willing to do so, I had no right to run the risk of bringing children
into the world who might inherit the curse. Having come to this
determination, which it cost me much to do, I wrote and communicated
it to your grandfather, and the marriage was broken off."

"I do not believe it, I do not believe a word of it," said Edward,
jumping up. "You jilted her and drove her mad, and now you are trying
to shelter yourself behind a tissue of falsehood."

"Are you acquainted with your grandfather's handwriting?" asked the
Colonel quietly.

"Yes."

"Is that it?" he went on, producing a yellow-looking letter and
showing it to him.

"I believe so--at least it looks like it."

"Then read the letter."

Edward obeyed. It was one written in answer to that of Harold Quaritch
to his betrothed's father, and admitted in the clearest terms the
justice of the step that he had taken. Further, it begg