’Nay,’ said Alison, proudly, ’I’ll not swear. Have I ever lied to you that you should ask an oath? But I’ll promise you, Nancy, by all you’ve been to me, and done for me, that no word of mine shall ever tell your secret to any human being.’ Nancy sank back among her pillows with a sigh of relief. ’Then I’m safe,’ she said, ’for _he_ will never betray me; to kiss and tell is not his nature. He is all the noblest generosity! Don’t think my love is dead, Ally,’ she added in something of her old tones. ’It lives, and it will live, purified. I’ll tear the earthly part of it from my heart, and live in hopes that we may meet in heaven!’ Soothed by this interesting and sanguine reflection, Nancy grew calmer. She took a little of her sleeping medicine, and Alison was just beginning to look forward to an hour of peace, when she awoke with a scream. ’Oh, God!’ she cried aloud, ’my key!’ ’Hush, Nancy; Jean will hear you,’ said Alison, patiently. ’What key?’ ’My key,’ reiterated Nancy, working herself up into a passion of terror; ’my house key. Oh! fool that I was! I gave it to him in all innocence: it was before your own eyes, Alison, and only to save Jean when she was throng. It has an ivory label to it, with my name and the street’s name, and if it is found with him I am undone—undone!’ She twined her fingers in her hair and would have torn it but that Alison held her hands. Alison herself looked blank enough; the matter of the key struck her as a bad business, incriminating evidence enough in the hands of such a man as Burns—careless, if he was not malicious, and, like all men, leaving things about. ’Ally, as you love me, you must go and get it from him!’ said Nancy; ’I’ll not trust the matter upon paper. I must have a messenger, and that messenger must be you.’ ’Nay, but that’s too much!’ cried Alison, turning white. ’Too much?’ said Nancy, piteously. ’Too much to save your friend whom you have promised to save? Oh, Ally, pity me—pity me—and go!’ She put up her trembling arms and caught Alison about the neck, clinging to her. ’If I go,’ said poor Alison, desperately, ’will you promise me one thing, Nancy—never, never to send me on another message to this man?’ ’Never! I swear!’ cried Nancy. ’Oh, Ally, I’ve been wrong to do it so often, most hideously selfish and wrong so to have used your good-nature. But you’ll forgive me, for I knew not what I did!’