`I do not!' she hastily interrupted. `At least--not in that way. I believe I loved him when I promised; but I was very young: it is hard to know. But, whatever the feeling was, it is dead now. The motive on his side is Love: on mine it is--Duty!'

Again there was a long silence. The whole skein of thought was tangled worse than ever. This time she broke the silence. `Don't misunderstand me!' she said. `When I said my heart was not his, I did not mean it was any one else's! At present I feel bound to him; and, till I know I am absolutely free, in the sight of God, to love any other than him, I'll never even think of any one else--in that way, I mean. I would die sooner!' I had never imagined my gentle friend capable of such passionate utterances.

I ventured on no further remark until we had nearly arrived at the Hallgate; but, the longer I reflected, the clearer it became to me that no call of Duty demanded the sacrifice--possibly of the happiness of a life--which she seemed ready to make. I tried to make this clear to her also, adding some warnings on the dangers that surely awaited a union in which mutual love was wanting. `The only argument for it, worth considering,' I said in conclusion, `seems to be his supposed reluctance in releasing you from your promise. I have tried to give to that argument its full weight, and my conclusion is that it does not affect the rights of the case, or invalidate the release he has given you. My belief is that you are entirely free to act as now seems right.'

`I am very grateful to you,' she said earnestly. `Believe it, please! I ca'n't put it into proper words!' and the subject was dropped by mutual consent: and I only learned, long afterwards, that our discussion had really served to dispel the doubts that had harassed her so long.

We parted at the Hall-gate, and I found Arthur eagerly awaiting my arrival; and, before we parted for the night, I had heard the whole story--how he had put off his journey from day to day, feeling that he could not go away from the place till his fate had been irrevocably settled by the wedding taking place: how the preparations for the wedding, and the excitement in the neighbourhood, had suddenly come to an end, and he had learned (from Major Lindon, who called to wish him good-bye) that the engagement had been broken off by mutual consent: how he had instantly abandoned all his plans for going abroad, and had decided to stay on at Elveston, for a year or two at any rate, till his newly-awakened hopes should prove true or false; and how, since that memorable day, he had avoided all meetings with Lady Muriel, fearing to betray his feelings before he had had any sufficient evidence as to how she regarded him. `But it is nearly six weeks since all that happened,' he said in conclusion, `and we can meet in the ordinary way, now, with no need for any painful allusions. I would have written to tell you all this: only I kept hoping from day to day that--that there would be more to tell!'

`And how should there be more, you foolish fellow,' I fondly urged, `if you never even go near her? Do you expect the offer to come from her?'

Arthur was betrayed into a smile. `No,' he said, `I hardly expect that. But I'm a desperate coward. There's no doubt about it!'

`And what reasons have you heard of for breaking off the engagement?'

`A good many,' Arthur replied, and proceeded to count them on his fingers. `First, it was found that she was dying of--something; so he broke it off. Then it was found that he was dying of--some other thing; so she broke it off. Then the Major turned out to be a confirmed gamester; so the Earl broke it off. Then the Earl insulted him; so the Major broke it off. It got a good deal broken off, all things considered!'

`You have all this on the very best authority, of course?'

`Oh, certainly! And communicated in the strictest confidence! Whatever defects Elveston society suffers from, want of information isn't one of them!'

`Nor reticence, either, it seems. But, seriously, do you know the real reason?'