He stopped at the door, his heart was beating
so violently.

Then he turned the handle softly, and stepped
into the drawing-room: it was a double room:
he took two steps and was in the opening, and
almost at Julia's back.

Two young clergymen were bending devotedly
one on each side of her; it was to them she was
singing the hymn of constancy.

Alfred started back as if he had been stung;
and the music stopped dead short.

For she had heard his step, and, womanlike,
was looking into her companions' eyes first, to
see if her ear had deceived her. What she saw
there brought her slowly round with a wild look.
Her hands rose towards her face, and she shrank
away sideways from him as if he was a serpent,
and her dilated eyes looked over her cringing
shoulder at him, and she was pale and red and
pale and red a dozen times in as many seconds.

He eyed her sorrowfully and sternly, taking for
shame that strange mixture of emotions which
possessed her. And so they met.

Strange meeting for two true lovers, who had
parted last upon their wedding eve.

No doubt, if they had been alone, one or other
would have spoken directly: but the situation
was complicated by the presence of two rivals, and
this tied their tongues, I think. They devoured
one another with their eyes in silence; only
Julia rose slowly to her feet, and began to
tremble from head to foot, as she looked at him.

"Is this intrusion agreeable to you, Miss
Dodd," said Mr. Hurd, respectfully, by way of
courting her. She made no reply: but only
looked wildly at him still, and quivered visibly.

"Pray, sir," said Alfred, turning on Mr. Hurd,
"have you any right to interfere between us
two?"

"None whatever," said Julia, hastily. "Mr.
Hurd, I need no one: I will permit no one to say
a word to him. Mr. Hardie knows he cannot enter
a house where I am— without an explanation."

"What, before a couple of curates?"

"Do not be insolent to my friends, sir," said
Julia, panting.

This wounded Alfred deeply. "Oh, as you
please," said he. " Only if you put me on my
defence before strangers, I shall, perhaps, put
you to the blush before them."

"Why do you come here, sir?" said Julia, not
deigning to notice his threat.

"To see my betrothed."

"Oh, indeed! Then why have you postponed
your visit so long?"

"I was in prison."

"In prison, Alfred?"

"In the worst of all prisons; where I was
put because I loved you; where I was detained
because I persisted in loving you, you faithless,
inconstant girl."

He choked at these words; she smiled; a
faint uncertain smile. It died away, and she
shook her head, and said sadly:

"Defend yourself, and then call me as many
names as you like. Where was this prison?"

"It was an asylum: a madhouse."

The girl stared at him bewildered. He put
his hand into his pocket, and took Peggy's letter.
"Read that," he said. She held it in her
hand, and looked him in the face to divine the
contents. "Read it," said he, almost fiercely:
"that was the decoy." She held it shaking in
her hands, and stared at it. I don't know
whether she read it or not.

He went on: "The same villain who defrauded
your father of his money, robbed me
of my wife, and my liberty: that Silverton
House was a lunatic asylum, and ever since then
(oh Julia, the agony of that day) I have been
confined in one or other of those hells; sane
amongst the mad; till Drayton House took fire,
and I escaped, for what, to be put on my defence
by you. What have you suffered from our separation,
compared with the manifold anguish I
have endured, that you dare to receive the most
injured and constant of mankind like this, you,
who have had your liberty all this time, and
have consoled yourself for my absence with a
couple of curates?"

"For shame!" said Julia, blushing to the forehead,
yet smiling in a way her companions could
not understand.

"Miss Dodd, will you put up with these insults?"
said Mr. Hurd.

"Ay, and a thousand more," cried Julia,
radiant, "and thank Heaven for them; they
prove his sincerity. You, who have thought
proper to stay and hear me insult my betrothed,
and put my superior on his defence, look how I
receive his just rebuke: dear, cruelly used
Alfred, I never doubted you in my heart, no not
for a moment; forgive me for taunting you to
clear yourself; you who were always the soul of
truth and honour. Forgive me: I too have
suffered; for I thought my Alfred was dead.
Forgive me."

And with this she was sinking slowly to her
knees with the most touching grace, all blushes,
tears, penitence, happiness, and love; but he
caught her eagerly. "Oh! God forbid," he
cried: and in a moment her head was on his
shoulder, and they mingled their tears together.

It was Julia who recovered herself first, and
shrank from him a little, and murmured, "We
are not alone."

The misgiving came rather late: and they
were alone.

The other gentlemen had comprehended at
last that it was indelicate to remain: they had
melted quietly away; and Peterson rushed down
the street; but Hurd hung disconsolate about
the very entry, where Alfred had just desponded
before him.

"Sit by me, my poor darling, and tell me all,"
said Julia.

He began; but, ere he had told her about his
first day at his first asylum, she moaned and