"Listen to me," she said; "I will live for vengeance--not on Sir Oswald--if he chooses to marry, let him--but I will first warn the woman he marries, and then, if she likes to come here as Lady Darrell, despite my warning, let her. I will take such vengeance on her as suits a Darrell--nothing commonplace--nothing in the way of poisoning--but such revenge as shall satisfy even me." In vain Miss Hastings tried to soothe her, to calm her, the torrent of angry words had their way. Then she came over to Miss Hastings, and, placing her hand on her shoulder, asked: "Tell me, whom do you think Sir Oswald is going to marry?" "I cannot imagine--unless it is Miss Rocheford." "Elinor Rocheford--that mere child! Let her beware!" CHAPTER XX. CAPTAIN LANGTON DESPERATE. A short period of calm fell upon Darrell Court. Miss Darrell's passion seemed to have exhausted itself. "I will never believe," she said one day to Miss Hastings, "that Sir Oswald meant what he said. I am beginning to think it was merely a threat--the Darrells are all hot-tempered." But Miss Hastings had heard more than she liked to tell her pupil, and she knew that what the baronet had said was not only quite true, but that preparations for the marriage had actually commenced. "I am afraid it was no threat, Pauline," she said, sadly. "Then let the new-comer beware," said the girl, her face darkening. "Whoever she may be, let her beware. I might have been a good woman, but this will make me a wicked one. I shall live only for revenge." A change came over her. The improvement that Miss Hastings had so fondly noticed, and of which she had been so proud, died away. Pauline seemed no longer to take any interest in reading or study. She would sit for hours in gloomy, sullen silence, with an abstracted look on her face. What was passing in her mind no one knew. Miss Hastings would go to her, and try to rouse her; but Pauline grew impatient. "Do leave me in peace," she would say. "Leave me to my own thoughts. I am framing my plans." And the smile that came with the words filled poor Miss Hastings with terrible apprehensions as to the future of her strange, willful pupil. The captain was still at the Court. He had had some vague idea of rushing off to London; but a letter from one of his most intimate friends warned him to keep out of the way until some arrangement could be made about his affairs. More than one angry creditor was waiting for him; indeed, the gallant captain had brought his affairs to such a pass that his appearance in London without either money or the hope of it would have been highly dangerous. He was desperate. Sir Oswald had hinted to him, since the failure of their plan, that he should not be forgotten in his will. He would have borrowed money from him but for that hint; but he did not care to risk the loss of many thousand pounds for the sake of fifteen hundred.