But,  when  she  came  to  reflect  that  after  all  this  was
not  a  lady,  and  that  she  appeared  by  her  own  account  to
be  the  victim  of  affection  and  frailty  rather  than  of
vice,  she  made  some  excuses ;  and  then  the  girl  had  laid
aside  her  trouble,  her  despair,  and  given  her  sorrowful
mind  to  nursing  and  comforting  Sir  Charles. This
would  have  outweighed  a  crime,  and  it  made  the  wife's
bowels  yearn  over  the  unfortunate  girl. "  Mary,"  said
she,  "  others  must  judge  you ;  I  am  a  wife,  and  can  only
see  your  fidelity  to  my  poor  husband. I  don't  know
what  I  shall  do  without  you,  but  I  think  it  is  my  duty
to  send  you  to  him  if  "possible. You  are  sure  he  really
loves  you  ?  "

"  Me  cross  the  seas  after  a  young  man  ?  "  said  Mary
Wells. "I'd  as  lief  hang  myself  on  the  nighest  tree,
and  make  an  end. No,  my  lady,  if  you  are  really  my
friend,  let  me  stay  here  as  long  as  I  can  —  I  will  never
go  down-stairs  to  be  seen  —  and  then  give  me  money
enough  to  get  my  trouble  over  unbeknown  to  my  sister ;
she  is  aU  my  fear. She  is  married  to  a  gentleman,  and
got  plenty  of  money,  and  I  shall  never  want  while  she
lives,  and  behave  myself ;  but  she  would  never  forgive
me  if  she  knew. She  is  a  hard  woman :  she  is  not  like
you,  my  lady. I'd  liefer  cut  my  hand  off  than  I'd  trust
her  as  I  would  you."

Lady  Bassett  was  not  quite  insensible  to  this  compli-
ment, but  she  felt  uneasy. "  What  I  help  you  to  deceive
your  sister  ?  "


A  TERRIBLE  TEMPTATION. 189

"  For  her  good. Why,  if  any  one  was  to  go  and  tell
her  about  me  now,  she'd  hate  them  for  telling  her  almost
as  much  as  she  would  hate  me."

Lady  Bassett  was  sore  perplexed. Unable  to  see  quite
clear  in  the  matter,  she  naturally  rererted  to  her  husband
and  his  interest. That  dictated  her  course. 