'I cannot,' he repeated. 'I OUGHT not. What will become of me?'

She felt herself stronger; he was excited, but his excitement was not

contagious. The string vibrated, and the note was resonant, but it

was not a note which was consonant with hers, and it did not stir her

to respond. He might love her, he was sincere enough to sacrifice

himself for her, and to remain faithful to her, but the voice was not

altogether that of his own true self. Partly, at least, it was the

voice of what he considered to be duty, of superstition and alarm.

She was silent.

'Madge,' he continued, 'ought you to refuse? You have some love for

me. Is it not greater than the love which thousands feel for one

another. Will you blast your future and mine, and, perhaps, that of

someone besides, who may be very dear to you? OUGHT you not, I say,

to listen?' The service had come to an end, the organist was playing a voluntary,

rather longer than usual, and the congregation was leaving, some of

them passing near Madge and Frank, and casting idle glances on the

young couple who had evidently come neither to pray nor to admire the

architecture. Madge recognised the well-known St Ann's fugue, and,

strange to say, even at such a moment it took entire possession of

her; the golden ladder was let down and celestial visitors descended.

When the music ceased she spoke.

'It would be a crime.' 'A crime, but I--' She stopped him.

'I know what you are going to say. I know what is the crime to the

world; but it would have been a crime, perhaps a worse crime, if a

ceremony had been performed beforehand by a priest, and the worst of

crimes would be that ceremony now. I must go.' She rose and began

to move towards the door.

He walked silently by her side till they were in St Paul's

churchyard, when she took him by the hand, pressed it affectionately

and suddenly turned into one of the courts that lead towards

Paternoster Row. He did not follow her, something repelled him, and

when he reached home it crossed his mind that marriage, after such

delay, would be a poor recompense, as he could not thereby conceal

her disgrace.




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