For one thing, he must not know why she was breaking off their engagement. Francis Eversleigh had assured her that Gilbert was unconscious of Silwood's frauds; indeed, she had not required any such assurance. And she was determined that he should not know from her. She saw, then, that she could give him no explanation. She must just tell him bluntly she had changed her mind. But, in that case, what would he think of her? what must he think of her? And that she should choose Bennet of all men! Gilbert could not but misunderstand her. He must think her deceit itself. It was this thought, more than any other, that sunk her deep in gulfs of despair. And then she told herself that this, too--this renunciation of the good opinion of her lover, this misunderstanding she must subject herself to--was part of the price she had agreed to pay to save him and his father from ruin. "And Gilbert," she said in her heart, "will never know what I have done for him. He will deem me fickle, false, base, a cheat and a lie!" And then a sort of rage came upon her, and she asked why this fate had been thrust upon her; what had she done to be made the victim of such outrageous fortune? "Why should I suffer thus cruelly?" she cried rebelliously. "Is there no escape?" She thought of what she had said to Francis Eversleigh--how she would gladly give up her wealth to Bennet if that would satisfy him. And now she remembered that the whole of her fortune was not lost, for there was still a considerable portion of it in Canada. Could she not make a bargain with Bennet? She resolved to try, but she did not believe she would succeed. If she failed, and she felt she would, and was compelled to agree to marry Bennet, then it would be impossible to stay any longer with the Eversleighs; she must make arrangements for leaving them at once. They, too, would think her hateful and detestable. It was all very bitter! "Yet they must never know," said Kitty, pondering darkly all these things through the long blank hours. In the morning she saw Francis Eversleigh alone for a few moments. "Kitty," he said, in a shaking voice, "you must not sacrifice yourself. It is not right. Tell Bennet to do his worst. We must bear it as best we can." There was a brave smile in the girl's eyes as she answered him. "I have decided," she responded. "You need have no fear. If there is no other way, I'll marry Mr. Bennet." Then she stopped and looked at him earnestly. "It may not be necessary," she remarked. "Perhaps the money and property I have in Canada will be enough to satisfy him." "Kitty, Kitty," cried Eversleigh, "I do not know what to say--do not know how to tell you, but I so love and admire you! But you must not blight all your sweet young life for me--it is not right. As it is, you suffer enough at my hands in the loss of the greater part of the fortune your father worked so hard for." The girl took his hand and pressed it gently. "I have made up my mind," she said gravely.