“That for his vast estates!” said Rosa contemptuously.  “I am not to be driven to the altar like this, when my heart is in the grave.  Don’t you do it again, papa, or I’ll get up and forbid the banns; affront for affront.”

“I should like to see that,” said the old gentleman dryly.

Rosa vouchsafed no reply, but swept out of the room, with burning cheeks and glittering eyes, and was not seen all day, would not dine with them, in spite of three humble, deprecating notes Falcon sent her.

“Let the spiteful cat alone,” said old Lusignan.  “You and I will dine together in peace and quiet.”

It was a dull dinner; but Falcon took advantage of the opportunity, impregnated the father with his views, and got him to promise to have the banns cried next Sunday.  He consented.

Rosa learned next Sunday morning that this was to be done, and her courage failed her.  She did not go to church at all.

She cried a great deal, and submitted to violence, as your true women are too apt to do.  They had compromised her, and so conquered her.  The permanent feelings of gratitude and esteem caused a reaction after her passion, and she gave up open resistance as hopeless.

Falcon renewed his visits, and was received with the mere sullen languor of a woman who has given in.

The banns were cried a third time.

Then the patient Rosa bought laudanum enough to reunite her to her Christopher, in spite of them all; and having provided herself with this resource, became more cheerful, and even kind and caressing.

She declined to name the day at present, and that was awkward.  Nevertheless the conspirators felt sure they should tire her out into doing that, before long; for they saw their way clear, and she was perplexed in the extreme.

In her perplexity, she used to talk to a certain beautiful star she called her Christopher.  She loved to fancy he was now an inhabitant of that bright star; and often on a clear night she would look up, and beg for guidance from this star.  This I consider foolish:  but then I am old and sceptical; she was still young and innocent, and sorely puzzled to know her husband’s real will.

I don’t suppose the star had anything to do with it, except as a focus of her thoughts; but one fine night, after a long inspection of Christopher’s star, she dreamed a dream.  She thought that a lovely wedding-dress hung over a chair, that a crown of diamonds as large as almonds sparkled ready for her on the dressing-table, and she was undoing her black gown, and about to take it off, when suddenly the diamonds began to pale, and the white satin dress to melt away, and in its place there rose a pale face and a long beard, and Christopher Staines stood before her, and said quietly, “Is this how you keep your vow?” Then he sank slowly, and the white dress was black, and the diamonds were jet; and she awoke, with his gentle words of remonstrance and his very tones ringing in her ear.