last, with the hope of finding out something about him; but all my
endeavours have resulted in failure. It struck me at last, as a kind of
forlorn hope, that this Mr. Holbrook might possibly be one of your
autumnal visitors; and I came here to ask you that question."

"No," answered the baronet; "I have had no visitor called Holbrook. Is
the name quite strange to yourself?"

"Entirely strange."

"And this Mr. Holbrook is now Miss Nowell's husband? and you want to know
who he is? With what end?"

"I want to find the man who has done me the deadliest wrong one man can
do another."

"My dear fellow, don't you see that it is fate, and not Mr. Holbrook,
that has done you this wrong? If Miss Nowell had really loved you as she
ought to have loved you, it would have been quite impossible for her to
be tempted away from you. It was her destiny to marry this Holbrook, rely
upon it; and had you been on the spot to protect your own interests, the
result would have been just the same. Believe me, I am very sorry for
you, and can fully sympathise with your feelings in this business; but I
cannot see what good could possibly arise out of a meeting between you
and your fortunate rival. The days of duelling are past; and even if it
were not so, I think you are too generous to seek to deprive Miss Nowell
of her husband."

"I do not know about that. There are some wrongs which all a man's
Christianity is not wide enough to cover. I think if that man and