Major Ruck made no remark, but stood silent and motionless, ever smiling, according to his custom. Beatrice, on the contrary, uttered an exclamation of surprise, and ran forward to throw herself into Vivian's arms. Suddenly she stopped.

"Do you mean what you say?" she asked, hesitating.

"I do," he replied firmly. "The obstacle I spoke of has finally been removed, and I am free to marry you."

"Can I believe this?" murmured Beatrice, clasping her hands and looking down doubtfully. "For a long time you held back from asking me to be your wife, although you must have seen that I loved you. On the night Mr. Alpenny was killed you proposed, and I accepted you."

"Ah!" said Major Ruck, smiling more broadly than ever.

"Then," continued Beatrice, still addressing Paslow, "you again changed your mind, and said that some obstacle, which you then declared was removed, again prevented our marriage. Now you come once more and say much the same as you said before. How do I know but what you may change your mind again?"

"I have never changed my mind throughout," cried Vivian impetuously; "there was an obstacle. I thought that it was removed, and then I discovered that it still remained: Now I have made strict inquiries, and I learn that I am free."

"What is the obstacle?" asked Beatrice, very pale, and still doubtful.

"I can tell you that," remarked Major Ruck, changing his attitude for the first time; "this young gentleman is married."

"I was married," said Paslow, as Beatrice shrank back with a cry of amazement, and, as Vivian thought, of anger; "but my wife is dead."

Ruck shrugged his shoulders. "So you say!"

"So Durban says--so this death certificate says. I heard all about my wife's illness, as I went to the house where she died. I have seen her grave, and the doctor gave me this." He held out a certificate to Beatrice. "Do you not believe me?"

"It is so strange," she murmured, taking the paper, and glancing at it in a scared manner.

"And so untrue," said Major Ruck coolly.

"You lie!"

"I am not accustomed to be told that I lie," said Ruck, and his eyes narrowed to pin-points.

Paslow turned his back on him contemptuously. "I care very little for that," he said. "You and your creatures betrayed me into difficulties, for which I have suffered bitterly. But now I am free, and you can harm me no longer."

"Don't be too sure of that, Mr. Paslow."

Beatrice saw Vivian wince, and came forward. "Whatever Mr. Paslow has done," she said, with dignity, "I am certain that he is an honourable man."

"Bless you for those words, my darling."

Major Ruck gave a short laugh, and did not seem so good-tempered as he had been. "An honourable man!" he repeated. "I fear if you knew all Mr. Paslow's life, you would see fit to change your opinion."

Vivian restrained himself from violent words. "Of course you talk like that, because it is to your interest to stop my marriage. But I trust to a woman's instinct," and he stretched out his hands toward Beatrice with an anxious smile.

She waved him back. "I must have an explanation first"

"Beatrice!"

"Vivian, I love you, I shall always love you; but can you expect me to blindly believe, when I am so much in the dark as to what all these things mean? There must be an end to these hints and mysteries. If you really love me, you will explain fully, so that I know where I stand."

"I think I can do that," said Ruck, fondling his moustache.

"Then do so," said Paslow, throwing back his head. "We know a great deal of one another, Major, so it may be to your interest to speak the truth," and he looked meaningly at the other man.

"I never tell lies, unless they are necessary," said Ruck calmly. "In this instance the truth will suit me very well."

Beatrice sat down, still holding the certificate of Mrs. Paslow's death, which seemed to be quite in order. "I am waiting to hear the truth," she said, "and hear it I will."

Without any invitation, Major Ruck sat down. "I may as well be comfortable," he said lazily, and smiled in his most genial manner. Vivian did not sit down, but stood near the window looking out at the fair prospect unseeingly. Knowing that his past was about to be revealed, he seemed nervous, and did not look at the girl he loved. Major Ruck was much the coolest of the trio.

"I can tell you the truth very briefly," said Ruck, stretching out his legs. "As I said, I was at school with Mr. Paslow's father, and also with Alpenny. Some eight years ago this gentleman"--he glanced towards the silent Vivian--"came to town. I did what I could to give him pleasure, as his father was dead, and I desired to do what I could for the son of my old friend.--That is true, I think?" he added, turning politely to Paslow.

"You were extremely kind," said Vivian, stiffly and guardedly.

"Thank you. Mr. Paslow then had money, and I think I showed him London very thoroughly. We had a great time."

"Pray go on with your story," said Beatrice, icily.

"Oh, it's the truth," replied Ruck, with a genial chuckle "I think Mr. Paslow will bear me out in that."

"I have yet to hear what you have to say."

Ruck raised his eyebrows. "What can I say, save that which happened, my dear fellow?--Mr. Paslow"--he now addressed himself to Beatrice--"met in town at the house of a friend of mine, a certain young lady called Maud Ellis. He fell in love with her----"

"I was trapped by a scheming woman, you mean," put in Paslow brusquely.

"Fie! fie! fie!" said Ruck good-humouredly. "Don't blame the woman, my dear fellow; that is mean. But trapped, or not, you married her."

"I did; and found that she only married me because she thought that I had money."

"So you should have had, and a great deal of it, but that Alpenny managed to collar the estates. But you loved her."

"I did not, save in the way one loves such women at an early age."

"Oh!" sneered Ruck; "she was perfectly respectable."

"I should not have married her else," said Vivian quickly, and not daring to glance at Beatrice. "I have nothing to say against her, save that she was heartless, and left me within six months. But I repeat that I was young and foolish at the time, and that she schemed to marry me. I fell into her toils, and bitterly have I had to pay for doing so; but for her I should have long ago have married Miss Hedge."

"I don't think Alpenny would have permitted that, Paslow."

"Perhaps not; but he is dead, and cannot harm me now."

"The evil that men do lives after them," scoffed Ruck. "Alpenny had the power when alive; someone else may have the power now."

"Not you, at all events, Ruck."

Beatrice rose quickly. "Am I to hear the rest of the story?" she asked Ruck. "Is this all you have to bring against Mr. Paslow?--that while a young man he was entrapped into marriage by an adventuress?"

"Oh, Maud Ellis was no adventuress," said the Major, easily, "but a very nice girl. Lady Watson knew her well."

"Lady Watson seems to know everyone," retorted Beatrice; "but who knows Lady Watson?"

"I do, very well," said Ruck quietly; "but we are not discussing her. Later on, should you desire to learn about her, I can supply you with all necessary information. Meanwhile----"

"Meanwhile," repeated Beatrice, "I should like............