The New Magdalen

"I know the effect it will have when I break the news to her, but I am

prepared with my remedy. The pages of my diary, written in past years,

will show plainly enough that it is not _she_ who is driving me away

from England. She will see the longing in me for other work and other

scenes expressing itself over and over again long before the time when

we first met."

FIFTH EXTRACT.

"Mercy's ball dress--a present from kind Lady Janet--is finished. I was

allowed to see the first trial, or preliminary rehearsal, of this work

of art. I don't in the least understand the merits of silk and lace; but

one thing I know--my wife will be the most beautiful woman at the ball.

"The same day I called on Lady Janet to thank her, and encountered a new

revelation of the wayward and original character of my dear old aunt.

"She was on the point of tearing up a letter when I went into her room.

Seeing me, she suspended her purpose and handed me the letter. It was in

Mercy's handwriting. Lady Janet pointed to a passage on the last page.

'Tell your wife, with my love,' she said, 'that I am the most obstinate

woman of the two. I positively refuse to read her, as I positively

refuse to listen to her, whenever she attempts to return to that one

subject. Now give me the letter back.' I gave it back, and saw it torn

up before my face. The 'one subject' prohibited to Mercy as sternly as

ever is still the subject of the personation of Grace Roseberry! Nothing

could have been more naturally introduced, or more delicately managed,

than my wife's brief reference to the subject. No matter. The reading

of the first line was enough. Lady Janet shut her eyes and destroyed the

letter--Lady Janet is determined to live and die absolutely ignorant of

the true story of 'Mercy Merrick.' What unanswerable riddles we are! Is

it wonderful if we perpetually fail to understand one another?"

SIXTH EXTRACT.

"The morning after the ball.

"It is done and over. Society has beaten Lady Janet. I have neither

patience nor time to write at length of it. We leave for Plymouth by the

afternoon express.

"We were rather late in arriving at the ball. The magnificent rooms were

filling fast. Walking through them with my wife, she drew my attention

to a circumstance which I had not noticed at the time. 'Julian,' she

said, 'look round among the lades, and tell me if you see anything

strange.' As I looked round the band began playing a waltz. I observed

that a few people only passed by us to the dancing-room. I noticed next

that of those few fewer still were young. At last it burst upon me. With

certain exceptions (so rare as to prove the rule), there were no

young girls at Lady Janet's ball. I took Mercy at once back to the

reception-room. Lady Janet's face showed that she, too, was aware of

what had happened. The guests were still arriving. We received the

men and their wives, the men and their mothers, the men and their

grandmothers--but, in place of their unmarried daughters, elaborate

excuses, offered with a shameless politeness wonderful to see. Yes! This

was how the matrons in high life had got over the difficulty of meeting

Mrs. Julian Gray at Lady Janet's house.