"When I went to the city to see about getting a place, I met my cousin, who told me that she was married to George Thorley, and had been for some weeks; that they were boarding in a nice, quiet place, and that George staid at home a great deal--indeed, he hardly went out at all. "It was evident that she had not heard of his reasons for leaving Blankville, and that she did not guess why he kept himself so quiet. Of course I hadn't the heart to tell her; but I made up my mind that I'd be better to stay where I was, for the present--so I went back to my aunt, without trying to get a situation in New York. "It was about six months after this I got word from Nora, begging me to come and see her. I loved my cousin, and I'd felt grieved that she was married to Dr. Thorley. I mistrusted something was wrong; so I went to the city, and found her out in the miserable tenement where she was now stopping, starving herself in a room with hardly a bit of furniture. She burst out a-crying when she saw me; and when I stopped her sobbing, she told me she had not seen George for more than three months; that either he had met with an accident, or he'd run away from her, leaving her without a cent of money, and she in such health that she could hardly earn enough to buy a bit of bread and pay the rent of this room. "'Do you really think he has left you?' I asked her. "'Sure, how can I tell?' she answered, looking at me so pitifully with her innocent blue eyes. 'He was a fine gentleman, and it's afraid I am that he's grown tired of his poor Irish Nora.' "'I warned you, cousin,' I said; 'I knew George Thorley for a villain; but you were taken with his fine words, and wouldn't heed. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry for you--but that won't undo what's done. Are you sure you are his wife, Nora dear?' "'As sure as I am of heaven,' she cried, angry with me. 'But it's married we were by a Protestant clergyman, to please George--and I've got my certificate safe--ah, yes, indeed.'