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He has come back; the sea has given up itf dead, and I am a lost woman!" and the wordt choked her. She paused for a moment, and then for the third time "spoke the words, "He has come back this time almost hissing them into my ear. "I know it," I responded calmly, yet sooth- ingly. She started back with a cry of pain that made some passers turn round and look at us. "You—know—it?" she repeated, staring at toe in wild amazement. "How, Harry; how?" "I have seen him." Seen him! No, no, this cannot be true." "Yes, I have seen Ralph Jarvice." Putting her hand to her brow for a moment to collect her bewildered thoughts she centred her gaze upon me and inquired with a subdued awe. "Harry, is this really true?" "I have seen him," I repeated. "Where?" In London." Vv hen?" "Many months ago." Many months ago she murmured, distract- edly. Months ago And you never told me' Oh, how cruel! How cruel Why did you keey this from me?" 1 Because I wanted if possible to spare you the knowledge of the fact," I answered; "be- cause I hoped the shadow might pass. I though of Ronald." "Yes, of Ronald, not of me," she said with bitterness. Yes, and of you too, Marion," I said. "Why. should I not think of you?" Because," she replied, still in the same tone of bitter reproach, because you despise me. and have never forgiven me for having taker, your friend from you." We were now standing in one of the quietesi parts of the square, our faces turned to the trees and the shrubs of the greensward of the garden, and our thoughts strangely moved. She still regarded me with a scared, incredulous look, half fearing, half mistrusting me. I do not understand you, Harry," she said at length. You did not know him. Where did you see him?" He came to the house in Keppel Street and r asked for you," I said, now determined to gc through with my disclosures. I invited him into my room, discovered who he was, and whai he wanted, and employed all my arts and wilet in preventing him from finding you out, and 1 thought I had succeeded until recently." I deemed it best not to mention the part that Silas Jackson had played in the affair for many reasons. Oh, it is all so strange so stnange and sad and heartrending 1" she sighed. But I must know more-you must tell me all that he said and threatened-what you did with him—where he went — yes, all, Harry, all. Be kind to me, Harry. Now that this dreadful thing is upon me there must be nothing kept back on your side or mine. All, Harry, tell me all." Yes," I said, "we must be open with each other for Ronald's sake." What is for my sake is for Ronald's sake in this unhappy business," she rejoined. If I am lost he is lost, and some bad deed will be done." Ronald will do nothing that is unmanly," I said warmly, but before we go any further Marion, let me ask how you have ascertained that Jarvice is alive?" "I too have seen him," she replied. And he you?" No." I am glad of that," I said. Where did you see him?" "I was with Ronald driving in Regent's Park," she answered, "and we passed him. I did not betray a sign, but I suddenly felt the savage longing of the murderess thrill through my veins," and her cheeks paled with emotion. "Did Ronald recognise the man?" I asked. Ronald recognise him!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean? How should Ronald -re- cognise him?" Because he had already seen him." You speak in riddles." He saw him in my room in Keppel Street." Never I speak the truth." "And did h eknow who he was?" she said, but almost before the words were spoken she checked herself and added in rapid excited tones, But no, he couldn't have done Had he known that he would have- "-she paused, than in a gasping undertone whispered—" killed me "These are unhealthy thoughts," I said, lead- ing her further along the circuit of the square. Men do not kill the women they love." "Those are just the women they do kill," she said. "Oh, what can be done?" There is only one course," I was beginning, but she interrupted me. Yes, yes, I know what you mean," she said scornfully, and it might do for some people— for ordinary flesh and blood—but I am different -Ronald is different. You do not seem to un- derstand." "It is you, Marion, that misunderstands," I said gravely, and what I advised you to do at first is what I advise you to do now-tell Ronald the whole truth." She turned disparingly from me and cried, I dare not!" You must," I insisted. ((I had rather die," she groaned. To leave him to find out for himself would De((worse," I said. "Yes, you are right," she replied. "Worse— a thousand times worse (c Be brave, Marion," I said encouragingly, and eVoen this trouble—great as it is—may per- haps fall less heavily upon you and Ronald tnan You imagine. You have now to summon the urage that you could not summon before. Yes, "time1"11' ^°U mus^ 'ace thing through this away »anno*>" sobbed in despair. I will go ^ace out ttk*6 a brave, good woman," I "Viw- that there must be a better way out of it than hen^'i 0ried, her despair now plunging her he adlbng into the wildest passion; there shall toe way- power on earth shall drag know ln^° horrors of that old life—you fniii know something of what they wero. told FRV *7 °* that far-baek night has not been you yet, but it shall toe. I bavis not yet von your pity or even your sympathy-you atill bold aloof from me--but when you know all you fill not despise me then. All my life until I narried Ronald Langworthy I had to work for thers-to support others—to be insulted and il-treated by others; and when the change came and I won an honest man's honest love, it seemed that I was lifted straight into paradise, and I lared everything to keep what I had won, and," -the added, with a ferocious gleam in her eyes, I can dare still more to keep it. What life could there be for me if Ronald went from me?" It is sad, indeed," I said, as she paused for breath, and knowing Ronald as I do, I am mre when he has the whole truth-not merely a portion of it-told to him, he will turn to you md say, we will face this evil thing together.' "Yes, yes, but Believe me, it is the only way out of the difficulty. If it would help you I would take ipon myself the task of revelation, but who joukl plead with Ronald as you could plead?" She turned her head away and sobbed, and I knew that tears had come to her relief. "When will Ronald be back?" I inquired. To-morrow." "And you will tell him?" I entreated. "Must I? Is there not other way?" she im- plored. In honour you are bound to tell him—now more than ever," I said. Honour does not come into the question vhere that man is concerned," she broke in, 'that foul murdurous wretch from whom you )nce saved me years ago, Harry—once when I lid not know you. Will you not save me from bim again now that you do know me?" she fal- ered, now that you are my friend and the 'riend of my husband? Yes, Harry, my hus- band, for before God Ronald is that in spite of til, and, she added, in a, fierce undertone that sent a shiver to my heart, and he shall yet be ny husband before the law. There are ways md means of ridding the world of those who rave forfeited their right to belong to it. You xre a lawyer. Can you not devise some plan by diich this man resurrected from hell can be 'ircumvented, or must it be left to my poor voman's wit or trembling hand to render him harmless?" Subterfuges have been too much resorted to ilready, Marion," I said; "your only refuge 'ow is in telling the truth. Of that I am so 'onvinced that I cannot encourage or help you n any other course." "And you say that after what you have soon f the man?" she asked, with a touch of scorn. "I do." This was the first time she had ever directly eferred to the night of the storm and the ter- 'ible incident that first brought me in contact .vith her. Indeed there had been times when I :ad doubted her identity with that of the ter- -oris,ed woman; and even now I could not recall n the countenance of the Ralph Jarvice whom I lad sent abroad any of the features of the man vith the knife whom I had seen at the house vith the red blinds. Still, drink and dissipation are wonderful transformers of human traits and haracteriatics, and might even have made of be later Jarvice a man of very different extern- ils from those of the earlier Jarvice. "You do?" she repeated. "Then let me act ir myself and by myself, Harry. All I will ask f you is silence as before. I may have the im- ulse to do as you wish me to do and to tell Donald, and I may not. You will know. Say nothing, know nothing. Keep my secret if it is till necessary to keep it. If it is not necessary will let you know and unseal your lips. Will you promise?" "Marion," I said, with studied seriousness, you are asking me what you have no right to TiSk, and what, with this man dogging your heels I have no right to grant." And you refuse to continue the existing contract between ua?" she said, excitedly. "I must." "Will you give me a month's grace?" "What would be the good? The man might e at Rothesay Grove to-morrow." "No, he will not come out into the open to attack me," she said; "he is cunning as a fox nd greedy as a miser. It is not me he desires, t is money, and he will lurk in the shadow for and threaten for long before he will dare to strike." "But at the best this would only be putting ff the evil day," I remonstrated; "the day of eckoning must come." "Yes, but in the meantime I can do some- thing." What will you do ?" I don't know, Harry, but as you are not with ne you are against me, and need not trouble 'bout me. I have had to fight my battles alone efore. I can do it again." [To BE CONTINUED.]

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LLANLLW CHAIARN".

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