"Go, then. But ah! you go to her. Misery! Do not love her! If you do--remember I will kill her! I have sworn it. You say that you will make way with her by the help of the law. Do it soon; or be sure I will make way with her in spite of the law." "Hush! be tranquil. Trust in me. You shall know all in a few days. Good-night!" "Ah! you are leaving me. You, that I have not seen for so many months until now--and now have seen but a few minutes alone. And you go to her--her, with whom you have been in company all the time you have been away from me! Ah, I hate her! I will kill her!" exclaimed the woman, in low, vehement tones. "Faustina, be quiet, or all is lost! You must be my sister-in-law only until you can be my wife. To accomplish this purpose of ours, you must be very, very discreet, as I shall be. Be on your guard always. Treat Lady Vincent with outward respect, as I must do, in the presence of the servants. They must be our future witnesses. Surely you will be enabled to do what I require of you in this respect, when I assure you that I hate my viscountess as deeply as you hate your rival." "Ha! you?" "Yes; for in her heart she despises me and adores another. She is unfaithful to me in thought. And it shall go hard, but I will make it appear that she is unfaithful in deed, too, and so send her, dishonored and impoverished, from the castle," said the viscount vindictively. "Ciel! Is that your plan? I understand now. I trust you, my Malcolm." "Good-night, then; and don't be jealous." "Never! I trust you. I shall triumph." CHAPTER XVIII. IN THE TRAITOR'S TOILS. Her heart is sick with thinking Of the misery she must find. Her mind is almost sinking-- That once so buoyant mind-- She cannot look before her, On the evil-haunted way. Redeem her! oh! restore her! Thou Lord of night and day! --_Monckton Milnes._ Overwhelmed with, horror, terror, and indignation, Claudia just tottered from the room in time to escape discovery. On reaching the hall she saw the door leading into her own suite of apartments wide open and all the rooms lighted up and old Katie moving about, unpacking trunks and hanging up dresses. Katie, it seemed, with something like canine instinct as to locality, had experienced no difficulty in finding her mistress' rooms. As soon as Lady Vincent entered her dressing room the old woman drew the resting chair and footstool up to the fire, and when Claudia had dropped into the seat she leaned over the back of the chair, and forgetting ceremony, spoke to her nursling as she had spoken to her in the days of that nursling's infancy. "Miss Claudia, honey, I wants to talk to you downright ser'us, I do." "Talk on, Katie," sighed Claudia. "But, 'deed, I'm feared I shall hurt your feelings, honey." "You cannot do that." "Well, then, honey--but 'deed you must excuse me, Miss Claudia, because I wouldn't say a word, only I think how it is my bounden duty."