"Yes, I remember; but I didn't believe him then, and I believe him still less now," answered Christabel, doggedly. Major Bree called that afternoon, and found Mrs. Tregonell alone in the drawing-room. "Where is Belle?" he asked. "She has gone for a long country ride--I insisted upon it." "You were quite right. She was looking as white as a ghost yesterday when I just caught a glimpse of her in the next room. She ran away like a guilty thing when she saw me. Well, has this cloud blown over? Is Hamleigh back?" "No; Christabel's engagement is broken off. It has been a great blow, a severe trial; but now it is over I am glad: she never could have been happy with him." "How do you know that?" asked the Major, sharply. "I judge him by his antecedents. What could be expected from a man who had led that kind of life--a man who so grossly deceived her?" "Deceived her? Did she ask him if he had ever been in love with an actress? Did she or you ever interrogate him as to his past life? Why you did not even question me, or I should have been obliged to tell you all I knew of his relations with Miss Mayne." "You ought to have told me of your own accord. You should not have waited to be questioned," said Mrs. Tregonell, indignantly. "Why should I stir dirty water? Do you suppose that every man who makes a good husband and lives happily with his wife has been spotless up to the hour of his marriage? There is a _Sturm und Drang_ period in every man's life, depend upon it. Far better that the tempest should rage before marriage than after." "I can't accept your philosophy, nor could Christabel. She took the business into her own hands, bravely, nobly. She has cancelled her engagement, and left Mr. Hamleigh free to make some kind of reparation to this actress person." "Reparation!--to Stella Mayne? Why don't you know that she is the mistress of Colonel Luscomb, who has ruined his social and professional prospects for her sake. Do you mean to say that old harpy who gave you your information about Angus did not give you the epilogue to the play?" "Not a word," said Mrs. Tregonell, considerably dashed by this intelligence. "But I don't see that this fact alters the case--much. Christabel could never have been happy or at peace with a man who had once been devoted to a creature of that class." "Would you be surprised to hear that creatures of that class are flesh and blood; and that they love us and leave us, and cleave to us and forsake us, just like the women in society?" asked the Major, surveying her with mild scorn. She was a good woman, no doubt, and acted honestly according to her lights; yet he was angry with her, believing that she had spoiled two lives by her incapacity to take a wide and liberal view of the human comedy. CHAPTER III. "GRIEF A FIXED STAR, AND JOY A VANE THAT VEERS."