called a reprieve.

Richard Bassett called on her, but she would not receive him; so then
he wrote to her, urging co-operation, and she replied, frankly, that
she took no interest in his affairs; but that she was devoted to Sir
Charles, and should keep him for herself. Vanity tempted her to add
that he (Sir Charles) was with her every day, and the wedding
postponed.

This last seemed too good to be true, so Richard Bassett set his
servant to talk to the servants in Portman Square. He learned that the
wedding was now to be on the 15th of June, instead of the 31st of May.

Convinced that this postponement was only a blind, and that the
marriage would never be, he breathed more freely at the news.

But the fact is, although Sir Charles had yielded so far to dread of
scandal, he was ashamed of himself, and his shame became remorse when
he detected a furtive tear in the dove-like eyes of her he really loved
and esteemed.

He went and told his trouble to Mr. Oldfield. "I am afraid she will do
something desperate," he said.

Mr. Oldfield heard him out, and then asked him had he told Miss
Somerset what he was going to settle on her.

"Not I. She is not in a condition to be influenced by that, at
present."