Just before they took their departure Lady Ushant came to Arabella saying that Mr. Morton wanted to speak one other word to her before she went.  So she returned to the room and was again left alone at the man’s bedside.  “Arabella,” he said, “I thought that I would tell you that I have forgiven everything.”

“How can you have forgiven me?  There are things which a man cannot forgive.”

“Give me your hand,"’ he said,—­and she gave him her hand.  “I do forgive it all.  Even should I live it would be impossible that we should be man and wife.”

“Oh yes.”

“But nevertheless I love you.  Try,—­try to be true to some one.”

“There is no truth left in me, Mr. Morton.  I should not dishonour my husband if I had one, but still I should be a curse to him.  I shall marry some day I suppose, and I know it will be so.  I wish I could change with you,—­and die.”

“You are unhappy now.”

“Indeed I am.  I am always unhappy.  I do not think you can tell what it is to be so wretched.  But I am glad that you have forgiven me.”  Then she stooped down and kissed his hand.  As she did so he touched her brow with his hot lips, and then she left him again.  Lady Ushant was waiting outside the door.  “He knows it all,” said Arabella.  “You need not trouble yourself with the message I gave you.  The carriage is at the door.  Good-bye.  You need not come down.  Mamma will not expect it.”  Lady Ushant, hardly knowing how she ought to behave, did not go down.  Lady Augustus and her daughter got into Mr. Runciman’s carriage without any farewells, and were driven back from the park to the Dillsborough Station.  To poor Lady Ushant the whole thing had been very terrible.  She sat silent and unoccupied the whole of that evening wondering at the horror of such a history.  This girl had absolutely dared to tell the dying man all her own disgrace,—­and had travelled down from London to Bragton with the purpose of doing so!  When next she crept into the sick-room she almost expected that her nephew would speak to her on the subject; but he only asked whether that sound of wheels which he heard beneath his window had come from the carriage which had taken them away, and then did not say a further word of either Lady Augustus or her daughter.

“And what do you mean to do now?” said Lady Augustus as the train approached the London terminus.

“Nothing.”

“You have given up Lord Rufford?”

“Indeed I have not”

“Your journey to Bragton will hardly help you much with him.”

“I don’t want it to help me at all.  What have I done that Lord Rufford can complain of?  I have not abandoned Lord Rufford for the sake of Mr. Morton.  Lord Rufford ought only to be too proud if he knew it all.”

“Of course he could make use of such an escapade as this?”

“Let him try.  I have not done with Lord Rufford yet, and so I can tell him.  I shall be at the Duke’s in Piccadilly to-morrow morning.”