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"Yes; that was my hour, and I enjoyed it. He had often twitted me with the hold he had on my name and fame, and I bore it; for, till I loved you, they were the dearest things I owned. That night I told him he should not speak; that you should enjoy your pride in me, even at his expense, and I refused to release him from his bond, as he had, more than once, refused to release me: for we had sworn never to confess till both agreed to it. Good heavens! how low he must have thought I had fallen, if I could consent to buy your happiness at the cost of my honor! He did think it that made him yield; that is the cause of the contempt he has not cared to hide from me since then; and that adds a double edge to my hatred now. I was to be knave as well as fool; and while I blinded myself with his reflected light, he would have filched my one jewel from me. Gladys, save me, keep me, or I shall do something desperate yet!"

Beside himself with humiliation, remorse, and wrath, Canaris flung himself down before her, as if only by clinging to that frail spar could he ride out the storm in which he was lost without compass or rudder.

Then Gladys showed him that such love as

hers could not fail, but, like an altar-fire, glowed the stronger for every costly sacrifice thrown therein. Lifting up the discrowned head, she laid it on her bosom with a sweet motherliness which comforted more than her tender words.

"My poor Felix! you have suffered enough for this deceit; I forgive it, and keep my reproaches for the false friend who led you astray."

"It was so paltry, weak, and selfish. You must despise me," he said, wistfully, still thinking more of his own pain than hers.

"I do despise the sin, not the dear sinner who repents and is an honest man again."

"But a beggar."

"We have each other.

some one is coming."

Hush! stand up;

Canaris had barely time to spring to his feet, when Stern came in, and was about to pass on in silence, though much amazed to see Gladys there at that hour, when the expression of the young man's face made him forget decorum and stop short, exclaiming, anxiously,

"Mr. Felix, what's the matter? Is master worse?"

"Safe and asleep. Mrs. Canaris came to see what I was about."

"Then, sir, if I may make so bold, the sooner she gets to bed again the better. It is far too late for her to be down here; the poor young lady looks half-dead," Stern whispered, with the freedom of an old servant.

"You are right. Come, love ;" and without another word Canaris led her away, leaving Stern to shake his gray head as he looked after them.

Gladys was utterly exhausted; and in the hall she faltered a little, saying, with a patient sigh, as she looked up the long stairway, "Dear, wait a little; it is so far, my strength is all gone."

Canaris caught her in his arms and carried her away, asking himself, with a remorseful pang that rent his heart,

"Is this the murder I have committed?"

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"What news? I see bad tidings of some sort in that lugubrious face of yours; out with it!" "The little boy arrived at dawn, sir," answered old Stern, with a paternal air.

"What little boy?"

"Canaris, Jr., sir," simpered the valet, venturing to be jocose.

"The deuce he did! Precipitate, like his father. Where is Felix?"

"With her, sir. In a state of mind, as well he may be, letting that delicate young thing sit up to keep him company over his poetry stuff," muttered Stern, busying himself with the shut

ters.

"Sit up! when? where? what are you maundering about, man?" and Helwyze himself sat

up among the pillows, looking unusually wideawake.

“Last night, sir, in the study. Mr. Felix made me go for a wink of sleep, and when I came back, about one, there sat Mrs. Canaris as white as her gown, and him looking as wild as a hawk. Something was amiss, I could see plain enough, but it wasn't my place to ask questions; so I just made bold to suggest that it was late for her to be up, and he took her away, looking dazed-like. That's all I know, sir, till I found the women in a great flustration this morning." "And I slept through it all?"

"Yes, sir; so soundly, I was a bit anxious till you waked. I found the glass empty and the bottle smashed, and I was afraid you might have taken too much of that choral while halfasleep."

"No fear; nothing kills me. Now get me up;" and Helwyze made his toilet with a speed and energy which caused Stern to consider "choral" a wonderful discovery.

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A pretence of breakfast; then Helwyze sat down to wait for further tidings, externally quite calm, internally tormented by a great anxiety, till Olivia came in, full of cheering news and sanguine expectations.

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