"My dear little Queenie," he said. "I am very sorry that my careless words have exposed your foolish, girlish little secret. But forgive me, my pet, and do not look so sad. Captain Ernscliffe, you must not be angry with my little girl. She was very willful and thoughtless in those days, but she has told you she was sorry and meant to tell you all about it." One gentle, appealing look from her blue eyes did more to melt the heart of the angry husband than all her uncle's words. His moody brow unbent; he came back to her side, and, as no one was looking, bent down and kissed away the pearly tears that trembled on her delicate cheek. "There, I forgive you," he said; "but you must have no more secrets from me, little one." She shivered slightly, but made no answer, and for this one time the threatened cloud in the sky of their happiness blew safely over, and all was peace between them. Yet the heart of the wife lay like lead in her breast. Day and night she thought of the terrible secret she was jealously guarding from the eyes of her husband. But after a calm and lovely voyage, in which she had been most tenderly cared for by her uncle and her husband, she found herself once more in the beautiful city where she had been wooed and wedded. "Uncle Robert, you will go home with us?" she said, as they were getting into the carriage on the wharf. "Not now," he answered. "You know I told you that it was bad news regarding some of my property here that brought me over to America. I must go to my lawyer's at once and see what can be done. I will come to you in a day or two and see how you like housekeeping," he added, with a laugh. "We shall certainly expect you," answered Captain Ernscliffe, heartily, as the carriage drove away to the beautiful mansion he had prepared for his bride years ago. A cablegram from England to his housekeeper had instructed her to prepare the house for the reception of himself and wife. Now, as they drew up before the grand marble steps, the front door opened as if by magic, and the cruel woman who had turned Queenie away homeless and friendless years before, appeared in the hall, richly clothed in fine black silk, and smirking and smiling upon her master and his beautiful bride as they came up the steps. Queenie had told him of that cruel deed, and he looked sternly and coldly upon the woman as she came up to them. "Mrs. Purdy," he said, haughtily, "this is my wife. Look well at her, and tell me if you have ever met her before?" The housekeeper looked searchingly at the beautiful face, whose blue eyes flashed lightning scorn upon her. In a moment it all rushed over her mind. That face was too lovely to be lightly forgotten. She grew pale, and commenced to stammer forth incoherent apologies. "Ah! I see that you remember me," said Mrs. Ernscliffe, curling a scornful lip. "Madam, I--pardon me," stammered the crestfallen woman, "you were not then his wife. I thought you a stranger, a----"