affection that made Veronica's speech so
painful.

Veronica continued: " You must not
think that I mean to be unmindful of you,
Maud, in my prosperity. I know that in a
measure I may be said to have deprived
you of a fortune, although, had it not been
to injure and cut me to the quick, that
fortune would never have been bequeathed
to you."

"Veronica! I implore you not to speak
of that odious money! I had no claim to
it in justice, no desire for it. For Heaven's
sake let us be silent on that score!"

"No," returned Veronica, raising herself
a little on her elbow as she spoke, and
looking up at the other girl, with cheeks
that revealed a deeper flush beneath the
false colour that tinged them: " no, Maud,
I cannot consent to be silent. I have
made up my mind that you shall have a
handsome dowry. It should have been a
really splendid one, if all the money had
come to me. As it is, I dare say Mr.
Lockwood will be——"

Maud put her trembling hand on
Veronica's lips. " Oh, pray, pray," she said,
"do not speak of it! Dear Veronica, it is
impossible! It can never be!"

Veronica removed her arm from Maud's
knee, a dark frown knitted her brows for an
instant, but almost immediately she said
lightly, as she rose from the floor: " Oh,
Maudie, Maudie, what a tragedy face!
Don't be childish, Maudie. I say it must
be. I shall not speak to you on the
subject. Mr. Lockwood will doubtless be more
reasonable."

"Do not dream of it! You do not know
him."

"I am not in love with him," retorted
Veronica, smiling disdainfully; "but that
is quite another thing!"

However, she suddenly resolved to say
no more on the subject to Maud. She had
another scheme in her head. She could
not quite forget Hugh's old admiration for
herself, and she meant to seek an
interview with him. She would do no wrong
to Maud, even if Hugh were to put aside
for a few moments the perfectness of his
allegiance. But—she would like to assert
her personal influence. She wished him
to bend his stiff-necked pride before the
power of her beauty and the charm of her
manner. And in so wishing, she declared
to herself that her main object was to
be generous to Maud, and to give her a
marriage portion.

"Maudie, let my maid take your hat and
cloak. This room is warm. We must have
some tea together," she said, going towards
the door of her bedchamber as she spoke.

"No, Veronica, I cannot stay. And pray
don't call any one. I could take off my hat
and cloak myself, if need were.' '

"You cannot stay? Oh, Maud!"

"Hugh will come for me at nine o'clock.
And I promised to be ready."

"He is a bit of a tyrant, then, your
Hugh?"

Maud shook her head and smiled faintly.

"Do you love him very much, white
owl?"

The old jesting epithet, coming thus
unawares from her lips, touched a chord in
Veronica's heart, which had hitherto
remained dumb. She burst into tears,
and running to Maud, put her arms
around her, and sobbed upon her neck.
Maud was thankful to see those tears;
but for some time neither of the girls said
a word. Then Maud began to speak of
Hugh: to say how good he was, how true,
honest, and noble-minded, and how dearly
she loved him. And then—still holding
Veronica's head against her breast—she
spoke of the vicar, of the folks at Shipley,
and gave what news she could of all that
had passed in her old home since she left it.
She tried, with every innocent wile she
could think of, to lead Veronica's thoughts
back to the days of her childhood and
girlhood, that seemed now so far, so very far
away.

"I shall never see the old place again,
Maudie. Never, never! But, dear white
owl, I have something to tell you. I—I—
how shall I begin? I found a relation in
Naples: a cousin by my mother's side."

"Was she good to you? Did you like
her, dear?"

"It isn't my fault, it is the fault of your
stupid English language, if I was unable to
convey to you at once that my relative is
is cugino, not cugina. Don't look so
amazed!"

"I didn't mean to look amazed, dear
Veronica."

"Well, this cousin—Cesare his name is
—is a Principe de'  Barletti. Barletti, you
know, was mamma's name. And he is a
good fellow, and very fond of me, and—I
mean to marry him by-and-bye."

"To marry him?"

"Yes."

"And—and he is good, you say? and
you really love him?"

"Oh, yes; I—I love him of course.
And he is devoted to me. We do not speak