"Dear Aunt Caroline," she said. "Uncle Erasmus understands quite,
and has given us his blessing, so won't you, too?"

But Mrs. Ebley was made of sterner stuff--she was horribly
shocked, her feelings had been bruised in their tenderest parts,
the laws of convention had been ruthlessly broken by her niece,
and forgiveness was not for her.

She drew herself up with disgusted hauteur, while the Rev. Mr.
Medlicott stood there glaring at the party too speechless with
humiliation and pain to utter a word.

"Erasmus," Mrs. Ebley said with scathing contempt. "I do not know
how you have let yourself countenance this disgraceful scene, but
I shall not do so. And if my niece still persists in bringing
shame upon us all I must beg you to conduct me back to our hotel--
I wash my hands of her and shall no longer own her as my sister's
child, come"

At this, Stella gave a pitiful little cry and turned tender,
beseeching eyes to her lover, and the sound of her voice touched
that chord which was fine in Eustace Medlicott's heart. He seemed
suddenly to see things as they were, and to realize that love had
indeed come to his betrothed, though not for him, so he rose above
the pain this conviction caused him and let justice have sway.

He strode forward and joined the group.

"You must not say that, Mrs. Ebley," he said, "since your husband