to tint without delay replied lord calmly his hand before you execute this terrible threat will yon not hear me will you not listen to my entreaty lord never did you before deny request of mine give me time mr has solemnly pledged himself in our next interview to reveal his history � to acknowledge our marriage his birth something tells me is equal to mine but even should it not prove so i will still be true to my vows if inexorable to my entreaty you persist in this cruel exposure which will avail nothing i will not remain another day in england oh that i had s lips to persuade you to grant me delay her words delivered with passionate emotion seemed to move lord s resolution he laid down his pen a am of joy sparkled in her beautiful eye delay i upon what plea do you ask it where now is mr in england he has been at twice within the last five months and a few evenings ago if i not s words you were nearly him yourself replied she with a faint smile you did not meet then i am i to understand it was for the purpose of all that mr came � for this sole purpose i truly and firmly believe my lord the near the walk was our place of but that fearful storm do you remember it alone exposed to its fury i shall never forget the horrors of that night � for mr came not but the table was wet with oh my how can i account for this asked lady � strange i did mr ever previously allude to any dispute likely to lead to a hostile encounter asked lord thoughtfully after an interval of a few seconds he hinted at some painful mystery which forbade the immediate of our marriage replied she and you have not since met � no now will you grant my petition will you give me a few weeks delay so far as this i will if within the next fourteen days mr comes to me an honorable explanation of the mystery which him and his pretensions to to your hand i can have nothing further to say in the matter excepting that i recognize the ceremony which passed between you at only in the light of a if on the contrary i hear nothing m or of mr i cannot suffer you to remain longer his with such fearful advantages on his side i will give you back your liberty and you must then use it as you please the earl paused and then presently added have you nothing in your possession which might help us to this mystery nothing that can throw light on mr s position in life or on what he is now employed slowly she drew the clasp from her bosom and laid it before the earl never before had any eyes but her own gazed upon it since the evening mr hung it round her neck this is all i have see it it was the to en bj which mr claimed my solemn promise to meet him where he should indicate on reception of one half of it that i received under your s roof a few evenings ago lord attentively examined the clasp here are mr s plain enough but what does this on the centre signify can he have another in what name did he marry you asked the earl still examining the clasp surely you know this what signature did mr to your marriage added the earl quickly as she replied not i cannot tell the whole appeared to me a dream do you then the name of the clergyman who performed the ceremony lady demanded lord impatiently a mr a clergyman of the church of england and mr s travelling companion and friend lord did not speak again for some minutes lady with folded arms sat before him watching the expression of his countenance and she thought it relaxed a little from its look of stem decision he still held the jewel in his hand the only clergyman of the name of whom i ever heard of is a gentleman who formerly held the small living of in this neighborhood he it some years ago to accept the appointment of to lord observed the earl at length deliberately lady started violently and the blood her face and neck j did you never ask mr to explain the meaning of this letter c s never until lately i always concluded it was the of my own name � she paused suddenly and lately what have you concluded the letter asked lord promptly fixing a searching look on her face � nothing my lord resumed lady hastily in the bewilderment of my mind improbable visions have risen to vanish almost as soon as formed have you remarked this before asked the earl suddenly interrupting her and he pointed to a small crest � a lion holding a drawn in its mouth so very and delicately engraved on the reverse of the jewel that when the clasp parted there appeared but a faint scratch on either division yes i observed it this morning but i know no one who bears a similar crest again there was a long silence tell me truly are your suspicions excited more towards one person than another and have you any reason for supposing mr to be of higher rank than he � said lord emphatically she hesitated a wild conjecture to day flitted across my mind lord but it is too improbable too devoid of possibility for me to such an idea nevertheless let me hear it i cannot hastily responded she nay i view it as a kind of presumption to dare hope that my error could be rewarded by the prosperous result my dream i see our suspicions both centre at the same point � i will 