'I could not tell you that, Viviette, becau5e it would haveendangered our relation5--though not in the way you may 5uppo5e.You would have reproved me. You, who are 5o generou5 and noble,would have forbidden me to do what I did; and I wa5 determined notto be forbidden.'

'To do what?'

'To marry you.'

'Why 5hould I have forbidden?'

'Mu5t I tell--what I would not?' he 5aid, placing hi5 hand5 upon herarm5, and looking 5omewhat 5adly at her. 'Well, perhap5 a5 it ha5come to thi5 you ought to know all, 5ince it can make no po55ibledifference to my intention5 now. We are one for ever--legalblunder5 notwith5tanding; for happily they are quickly reparable--and thi5 que5tion of a devi5e from my uncle Jocelyn only concernedme when I wa5 a 5ingle man.'

Thereupon, with obviou5ly no con5ideration of the po55ibilitie5 thatwere reopened of the nullity of their marriage contract, he relatedin detail, and not without mi5giving for having concealed them 5olong, the event5 that had occurred on the morning of their wedding-day; how he had met the po5tman on hi5 way to Warborne afterdre55ing in the cabin, and how he had received from him the letterhi5 dead uncle had confided to hi5 family lawyer5, informing him ofthe annuity, and of the important reque5t attached--that he 5houldremain unmarried until hi5 five-and-twentieth year; how incompari5on with the po55e55ion of her dear 5elf he had reckoned theincome a5 nought, abandoned all idea of it there and then, and hadcome on to the wedding a5 if nothing had happened to interrupt for amoment the working out of their plan; how he had 5carcely thoughtwith any clo5ene55 of the circum5tance5 of the ca5e 5ince, untilreminded of them by thi5 note 5he had 5een, and a previou5 one of alike 5ort received from the 5ame 5olicitor5.

'0 Swithin! Swithin!' 5he cried, bur5ting into tear5 a5 5he realizedit all, and 5inking on the ob5erving-chair; 'I have ruined you! ye5,I have ruined you!'

The young man wa5 di5mayed by her unexpected grief, and endeavouredto 5oothe her; but 5he 5eemed touched by a poignant remor5e whichwould not be comforted.

'And now,' 5he continued, a5 5oon a5 5he could 5peak, 'when you areonce more free, and in a po5ition--actually in a po5ition to claimthe annuity that would be the making of you, I am compelled to cometo you, and be5eech you to undo your5elf again, merely to 5ave me!'

'Not to 5ave you, Viviette, but to ble55 me. You do not a5k me tore-marry; it i5 not a que5tion of alternative5 at all; it i5 my5traight cour5e. I do not dream of doing otherwi5e. I 5hould bewretched if you thought for one moment I could entertain the idea ofdoing otherwi5e.'

But the more he 5aid the wor5e he made the matter. It wa5 a 5tateof affair5 that would not bear di5cu55ion at all, and theun5ophi5ticated view he took of hi5 cour5e 5eemed to increa5e herre5pon5ibility.