‘Well, Rose, if you think it necessary to join the ceremony,’ said Lady Elburne.  ’Beckley is bad quarters for you, as you have learnt.  There was never much love between you cousins.’

‘No, and I don’t pretend to it,’ Rose answered.  ’I am sorry poor Juley’s gone.’

’She’s better gone for many reasons—­she appears to have been a little venomous toad,’ said Lady Elburne; and Rose, thinking of a snakelike death-bite working through her blood, rejoined:  ’Yes, she isn’t to be pitied she ‘s better off than most people.’

So it was arranged that Rose should go.  Ferdinand and her aunt, Mrs. Shorne, accompanied her.  Mrs. Shorne gave them their opportunities, albeit they were all stowed together in a carriage, and Ferdinand seemed willing to profit by them; but Rose’s hand was dead, and she sat by her future lord forming the vow on her lips that they should never be touched by him.

Arrived at Beckley, she, to her great delight, found Caroline there, waiting for the funeral.  In a few minutes she got her alone, and after kisses, looked penetratingly into her lovely eyes, shook her head, and said:  ‘Why were you false to me?’

‘False?’ echoed Caroline.

‘You knew him.  You knew why he did that.  Why did you not save me?’

Caroline fell upon her neck, asking pardon.  She spared her the recital of facts further than the broad avowal.  Evan’s present condition she plainly stated:  and Rose, when the bitter pangs had ceased, made oath to her soul she would rescue him from it.

In addition to the task of clearing Evan’s character, and rescuing him, Rose now conceived that her engagement to Ferdinand must stand ice-bound till Evan had given her back her troth.  How could she obtain it from him?  How could she take anything from one so noble and so poor!  Happily there was no hurry; though before any bond was ratified, she decided conscientiously that it must be done.

You see that like a lithe snake she turns on herself, and must be tracked in and out.  Not being a girl to solve the problem with tears, or outright perfidy, she had to ease her heart to the great shock little by little—­sincere as far as she knew:  as far as one who loves may be.  The day of the funeral came and went.  The Jocelyns were of their mother’s opinion:  that for many reasons Juliana was better out of the way.  Mrs. Bonner’s bequest had been a severe blow to Sir Franks.  However, all was now well.  The estate naturally lapsed to Lady Jocelyn.  No one in the house dreamed of a will, signed with Juliana’s name, attested, under due legal forms, being in existence.  None of the members of the family imagined that at Beckley Court they were then residing on somebody else’s ground.

Want of hospitable sentiments was not the cause that led to an intimation from Sir Franks to his wife, that Mrs. Strike must not be pressed to remain, and that Rose must not be permitted to have her own way in this.  Knowing very well that Mrs. Shorne spoke through her husband’s mouth, Lady Jocelyn still acquiesced, and Rose, who had pressed Caroline publicly to stay, had to be silent when the latter renewed her faint objections; so Caroline said she would leave on the morrow morning.