“I was coming to that, Miles; and when you know it, you will know all.  Grace has felt his attentions to Emily Merton, for a long time; but there never was a verbal explanation between them until just before she left town.  Then she felt it due to herself to know the truth; and, after a conversation which was not very particular, your sister offered to release Rupert from his engagement, did he in the least desire it.”

“And what answer did he make to a proposal that was as generous as it was frank?”

“I must do Grace the justice to say, Miles, that, in all she said, she used the utmost tenderness towards my brother.  Still, I could not but gather the substance of what passed.  Rupert, at first, affected to believe that Grace, herself, wished to break the engagement; but, in this, you well know, her ingenuous simplicity would not permit him to succeed.  She did not attempt to conceal how deeply she should feel the change in her situation, and how much it might influence her future happiness.”

“Ay, that was like both of them—­like Rupert, and like Grace,” I muttered, huskily.

Lucy continued silent an instant, apparently to allow me to regain my self-command; then she continued—­

“When Rupert found that the responsibility of the rupture must rest on him, he spoke more sincerely.  He owned to Grace that his views had changed; said they were both too young to contract themselves when they did, and that he had made an engagement to marry, at a time when he was unfit to bind himself to so solemn a contract—­said something about minors, and concluded by speaking of his poverty and total inability to support a wife, now that Mrs. Bradfort had left me the whole of her property.”

“And this is the man who wishes to make the world believe that he is the true heir!—­nay, who told me, himself, that he considers you as only a sort of trustee, to hold half, or two-thirds of the estate, until he has had leisure to sow his wild oats!”

“I know he has encouraged such notions, Miles,” Lucy answered, in a low voice; “how gladly would I realize his hopes, if things could be placed where we once thought they were!  Every dollar of Mrs. Bradfort’s fortune would I relinquish with joy, to see Grace happy, or Rupert honest.”

“I am afraid we shall never see the first, Lucy, in this evil world at least.”

“I have never wished for this engagement, since I have been old enough to judge of my brother’s true character.  He would ever have been too fickle, and of principles too light, to satisfy Grace’s heart, or her judgment.  There may have been some truth in his plea that the engagement was too early and inconsiderately made.  Persons so young can hardly know what will, or what will not be necessary to their own characters, a few years later.  As it is, even Grace would now refuse to marry Rupert.  She owned to me, that the heaviest part of the blow was being undeceived in relation to his character.  I spoke to her with greater freedom than a sister ought to have used, perhaps, but I wished to arouse her pride, as the means of saving her.  Alas!  Grace is all affections, and those once withered, I fear, Miles, the rest of her being will go with them.”