rd to find. And so vagrant is
thought, that while he turned the leaves Aspatria remembered the
travelling-chariot, and wondered whether Ulfar meant to carry her away
in it, and what she would do for proper clothing. Will ought to have
told her something of the future. How cruel every one had been! It
took but a moment for these and many other thoughts to invade
Aspatria's heart, and spread dismay and anxiety and again the sense of
resentment.

Then she heard the clergyman begin. His voice was like that of some
one speaking in a dream, till she sharply called herself together,
hearing also Ulfar's voice, and knowing that she too would be called
upon for her assent. She glanced up at Ulfar, who was dressed with
great care and splendour and looking very handsome, and said her "I
will" with the glance. Ulfar could not receive it unmoved; he looked
steadily at her, and then he saw the ruin of youth that his
faithlessness had made. Remorse bit him like a serpent, but remorse is
not repentance. Then William Anneys gave his sister to his enemy; and
the gift was like death to him, and the look accompanying the gift
filled Ulfar's heart with a contemptuous anger fatal to all juster or
kinder feelings.

When the service was ended, Fenwick turned to Aspatria and offered her
his hand. She put hers into his, and so he led her down the aisle,
and through the churchyard, to her own carriage. William had followed
close. He wondered if Fenwick meant to take his wife with him, and he
resolved to give him the opportunity to do so. But as soon as he
perceived that the bridegroom would carry out his threat, and desert
his bride at the church gates, he stepped forward and said,--

"That is enough, Sir Ulfar Fenwick. I have made you keep your word. I
will care for your wife. She shall neither bear your name nor yet take
anything from your bounty."

Fenwick paid no heed to his brother-in-law. He looked at Aspatria. She
was whiter than snow; she had the pallor of death. He lifted his hat
and said,--

"Farewell, Lady Fenwick. We shall meet no more."

"Sir Ulfar," she answered calmly, "it is not my will that we met here
to-day."

"And as for meeting no more," said Brune, with passionate contempt, "I
will warrant that is not in your say-so, Ulfar Fenwick."

As he spoke, Fenwick's friend handed Will Anneys a card; then they
drove rapidly away. Will was carefully wrapping his sister for her
solitary ride back to Seat-Ambar; and he did this