She forgot herself, she forgot Teddy Darrell, to whom she had promised herself, and she kissed Ralph Chainey's letter with red, clinging lips, as if it had been his handsome face. "Why did I not listen to him that day when I was so wild with jealousy that I would not let him explain?" she cried, self-upbraidingly. "I was foolish and silly. It is a wonder that he could ever forgive me. No. I can not marry Teddy now. But--will--he release me--from--my promise?" CHAPTER XLII. "YOU SHALL NOT MARRY RALPH CHAINEY!" UNCLE BEN CRIED, VIOLENTLY. Adown my cheeks in silence The tears came flowing free, And, oh! I can not believe it-- That thou art lost to me. H. HEINE. While Kathleen was still weeping over Ralph Chainey's appealing letter her uncle was announced. She dried her tears and went down to welcome the old man. Mrs. Stone had taken the children out for the morning, so Kathleen had a long interview with her new-found relative. He was so much like her dead father in his voice and looks that he won Kathleen's heart at once, and when he expressed his love and sympathy for her in moving terms, the unhappy young girl gave him her confidence in the fullest measure. She told him the story of her young life from the beginning--her step-mother's cruelty, Alpine's unkindness, and Ivan's attempts at courtship, which she had repelled with scorn. Then her indignant voice softened as she murmured over the story of her happy love-dream--her first romantic meeting with Ralph Chainey, when he had saved her life, and her later acquaintance with him, down to the moment when she had repulsed him with scorn, and, in a fit of pique, engaged herself to Teddy Darrell. "I was wrong--all wrong!" she cried, self-upbraidingly, and gave him Ralph's letter to read. Benjamin Carew listened in dead silence to all that Kathleen told him of the young actor, and if she had observed him closely, she would have seen that his brows were drawn together by a heavy frown. Once or twice he seemed about to speak to her, but checked himself abruptly and waited. Kathleen, as soon as he had finished the letter, cried out, eagerly: "Do you not see that I was wrong to judge him so hardly?" Uncle Ben looked gravely into his niece's face and answered, almost sternly: "No; you were right, for appearances were against him." "But, dear Uncle Ben, all that is explained away now, and I know that I was wrong not to trust my lover," cried the girl, anxiously. But he answered, firmly: "You must not call that actor your lover. You are betrothed to Mr. Darrell." "But Teddy will release me if I ask him." "Would you wound your true lover so cruelly?" asked the old man, almost angrily. The beautiful dark eyes were raised to his, swimming in tears. "Oh, how unhappy I am!" cried poor Kathleen. "I am the most wretched girl in the whole world! Every one is against me!"