little dream of the curse that will attend
you through, life. And you," he said,
turning to Jessica, "if you have sense or
wisdom, and value your peace of mind for
the rest of your life, you will pause before
you engage in this sacrilege. I am no
prophet, but a man that has kept my word
in everything yet. What I have said
should come to pass has come to pass. For
his sake, if not for your own, take care."

"Come, no more of this," said Conway.
"You have forgotten that other lesson I
once gave you, I can see."

"That style of speech will not affect me.
I have a duty to-night, and it will not
turn me from it."

His eyes, even in that darkness, were so
wild and fierce, that he seemed under the
influence of some frensy. Jessica felt she
could not endure this trial much longer,
and whispering Conway, "Let me go, he
frightens me," fled away out of the church.

"This is generous and manly on your
side, Dudley," said Conway, "and only
that I myself must hang my head in that
presence, and cannot justify myself, I
would be very angry. I am sorry to see
you cannot control yourself."

"Yet it was a hard fate, Conway. One
so young, and with such fair prospects."

The other said warmly, "It seems cruel.
And yet if it had been otherwise, she might
never have been happy."

"With you?" said Dudley, looking at
him fixedly. "Why not?"

"But I have repented it bitterly. No one
can know the remorse I have suffered,
and after all, from what the doctor said,
this cruel end of hers might have come at
any moment from any excitement. Nay,
should properly have come before."

"But how can you tell?" said the other:
"how can you be sure, that this excitement
that caused her death had not something
to do with you or yours? What if
she had found out this wicked deception of
yours? You called it so yourself. Or if
some one had charitably told her of it.
There is no knowing."

"Impossible," said the other. "I had
left her but a few minutes, and was signalling
to her from the yacht. The doctor
explained it simply. She had stumbled
against the root of a tree, and the start and
shock——"

"Of course, we know that. I am only
speculating. Doctors can explain
everything. But were I her father, or were I
her acknowledged lover, I mean a genuine
lover, I should not be satisfied. I should not
go mooning ridiculously about, questioning
and speculating. When I had found out
all, which might also mean that there was
nothing to be found out, I should rest.
Now you mean to marry that clergyman's
daughter. There is no use disguising it,
Conway. Duty came first; then love.
You are entitled to follow your inclinations.
I don't want to pry into your secrets."

"You have guessed rightly," said the
other. "If you knew the whole story, you
would say it is but a poor reparation for
all she has borne for me, and from the
world."

"Not a word of her," said Dudley,
furiously. "No glorification of her. I
know her true character. You can marry
whom you please, and welcome. Though
I would warn you as a friend, in this case
take care. She is marked, and has a
reckoning to pay us yet—a heavy one."

"I see there is no reasoning with you,"
said Conway. "I am going home: good
night."

"I am not going home, and shall wait
here."

Any one lingering in that church would
have seen Dudley's face lit up with a sort
of ghastly delight.

Then approaching the marble monument
he bent over it again, and said to it, "Now,
lost angel, there will be a sacrifice at your
tomb, as good as any ever offered at any
shrine. And before long I shall bring to
you an offering of their joint misery and
wrecked happiness, that will help to make
you sleep calmly in your grave."

Now Ready, price 5s. 6d., bound in green cloth,
THE SECOND VOLUME
OF THE NEW SERIES OF
ALL THE YEAR ROUND.
To be had of all Booksellers.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FINAL READING.
MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FINAL FAREWELL
READING will take place at St. James's Hall, on
Tuesday, March 15, when "The Christmas Carol" and
the "Trial from Pickwick" will be read FOR THE
LAST TIME.
All communications to be addressed to Messrs.
CHAPPELL and Co., 50, New Bond-street, W.

The Right of Translating Articles from ALL THE YEAR ROUND is reserved by the Author