d me. Lady Alice
Daventry, do you doubt that that oath shall be kept?"

His violence had terrified her--she was deadly pale, and seemed ready to
faint; but a burst of tears relieved her.

"I do not deserve this," she said; "I did love you--I swore it to you, and
you doubted me."

"Had I no reason?" he asked.

"None that you did not cause yourself; your unfounded jealousy, your
determination to humble me, drove me to the step I took."

The expression of his countenance somewhat changed; he had averted his
face so that she could not read its meaning, and over it passed no sign of
relenting, but a look more wholly triumphant than it had yet worn. When he
turned to Lady Alice it was changed to one of mildness and sorrow.

"You will drive me mad, Alice," he uttered, in a low, deep voice. "May
heaven forgive me if I have mistaken you; you told me you loved me."

"I told you the truth," she rejoined, quickly.

"But how soon that love changed," he said, in a half-doubting tone, as if
willing to be convinced.

"It never changed!" she replied, vehemently. "You doubted--you were
jealous, and left me. I never ceased to love you."

"You do not love me now?" he asked.

She was silent; but a low sob sounded through the room, and Charles Mardyn
was again at her feet; and, while the marriage-vows had scarce died from
her lips, Lady Alice Daventry was exchanging forgiveness with, and
listening to protestations of love from the son of the man to whom, a few
hours before, she had sworn a wife's fidelity.

It is a scene which needs some explanation; best heard, however, from
Mardyn's lips. A step was heard along the passage, and Mardyn, passing
through a side-door, repaired to Clara's apartment. He found her engaged
on a book. Laying it down, she bestowed on him a look of inquiry as he
entered.

"I want to speak to you, Clara," he said.

Fixing her cold gray eyes on his face, she awaited his questions.

"Has not this sudden step of Sir John's surprised you?"

"It has," she said, quietly.

"Your prospects are not so sure as they were?"

"No, they are changed," she said, in the same quiet tone, and impassive
countenance.

"And you feel no great love to your new stepmother?"

"I have only seen Lady Alice once," she replied, fidgeting on her seat.

"Well, you will see her oftener now," he observed. "I hope she will make
the Hall pleasant to you."

"You have some motive in this conversation," said Clara, calmly. "You m