"Oh, Lucian," said Tory, in her high drawling voice, "my lady says you think that Amethyst has secrets with Tony. So she has; she gave him a present from us. We bought him a purse with our own money. It was all quite correct, I assure you." "Is that true?" said Lucian, abruptly. Amethyst had started up, and he saw the startled horror in her eyes.--"Madam," he said to Lady Haredale, while his young eyes flashed fire, "that is the story which was to be made up. I will leave you to improve upon it," and he lifted his hat, and dashed away almost more rapidly than he had come. Amethyst stood for a moment motionless; then she turned to her mother, and caught both her hands. "Mother," she cried, "your are ruining my life. I will never, never marry Lucian, while I am pledged to deceive him.--Never, not if he would marry me!" Lady Haredale's shallow sentimental nature fairly quailed before the passion in the girl's eyes and voice, but she held to her point. "Oh, nonsense, my dear, you are far too scrupulous. It's not your secret; we must make it right somehow. Why, there were thousands of things I had to keep secret when _I_ was married!" "Yes, mother, I dare say there were," said Amethyst, dropping her hands, and walking away across the grass. Lucian's angry eyes had pierced her heart, but the unveiling of her sweet mother's real nature seemed to have laid it waste. Half an hour later, as she sat in her room, crushed and stupefied, not one dear thought able to lift itself up under the frightful weight, hot, eager hands caught hers, and Una's voice sobbed out-- "Oh, Amethyst, my darling Amethyst, I've ruined you; it's all my fault, I did it! Tory says so, and it's true, but if I don't deny it and deny it, it will ruin _him_; Miss Verrequers will give him up. Oh, I can't spoil his prospects. Oh, what shall I do?" Amethyst started up. There stood Una, with a very white face and black-ringed eyes, looking, in her ordinary striped frock and long hanging hair, as unlike her sister as could well be. "You!" exclaimed Amethyst. "What do you mean? What can you mean, Una?" "I mean, he kissed me. It was good-bye for ever and ever--and ever-- there in the ante-room; Mrs Leigh must have seen me. Tory guessed directly, and of course she'll tell. But, if I won't own to it, they can't bring it home to him. But you--oh, my darling! Oh, what shall I do?" That the children should be mixed up in the miserable story seemed the last drop in Amethyst's cup. But the sense that, helpless as she was, she was less helpless than Una, did rouse her to some power of consideration. "I don't think they could mistake you for me," she said vaguely.