ons moved him; but gradually, as the
narrator drew near the end of his tale, he grew nervous and restless,
the tense lines of pain settled again about his mouth, his eyes grew
dark and moody in expression, while the spasmodic twitching of his
nerves could be plainly seen by every one in the room.

"'When once the wedding was over,'" he interposed hoarsely, at this
point of the story; "that was--a month ago--to-day----"

"Yes, that was the date set for the ceremony," Vane Cameron responded,
with a sinking heart, as he bent a pitying look upon the young and
terribly stricken husband.

Bitter as his own grief and disappointment had been when he lost Violet,
they now seemed to dwindle into nothing in comparison with Wallace's
greater suffering and the terrible tidings which he yet had to reveal to
him. His heart sank with a sickening dread; no duty had ever seemed so
hard before.

"I--I read a notice of it in a Cincinnati paper, and I started for
England at once----" Wallace began excitedly.

"You started at once!" said Lord Cameron, surprised. "It was announced a
month previous."

"I know--I know; but I did not get the paper for some time after," was
the agitated reply. "At the time Violet left for Europe I was called to
New York to consult with an architect about going into partnership with
him and accepting an important contract. The partnership was
consummated, the contract accepted, and I have been in New York ever
since. This was why I did not get the news earlier--it was a mere chance
that I got it at all. The paper stated that you were to start
immediately for your residence on the Isle of Wight, consequently I went
directly there, thus losing much more time. But--oh, I cannot stop for
all these details now," the young man cried, with a ghastly face, the
perspiration standing in great beads upon his brow, while he was
terribly excited. "Of course Violet is not your wife, even though ten
thousand ceremonies were performed over you. She is mine--mine! Oh,
Heaven! am I going mad? Where is she? Tell me--tell me! Why are you
still here? Why did you not go to the Isle of Wight? Why do you not
speak? Why do you keep me in such suspense?"

It was dreadful to look upon him, and no pen could portray the anguish
that was written upon his countenance, that vibrated in his hoarse,
quivering tones.

"We--did not go because--that marriage ceremony never took place," said
Lord Cameron, gravely, but inwardly quaking over w