The times., 1901-05-12
CHAPTER XIV.

met with the first installment of expos
ure. / have told you what was done at
the church and what was our own be-
wilderment. not knowing what to believe
or how to explain things. For my own
part, though / might have guessed, be-
cause / had discovered the jealousy of
Lady Anastasia. yet the truth, even the
possibility of the truth, never came into
my head. / had no manner of doubt in
my own mind but it was Molly herself.
and none other, whom l saw standing as
a bride at the altar rails with Lord F'yl-
ingdale for bridegroom. The fact, say,
admitted of no dispute. Yet why should
Molly change her mind? And why should
she deny the fact?
sought her at the house. l begged her
to come into the garden and to talk with
me privately. Then L asked those two
questions. Her answer 10 both of them
was most amazing.
Jack, she said, Il know not what you
mean. have not charged my mind. 1t
Is impossible for me to marry a man of
whom such things can be said unless he
can prove that they are false How can
You thlnk that have changed my mind?
As regards this talk about an early wed
ding, what do l know about it? At
clock / was in the kitchen with my
mother and Nigra. / have not been out
OF the house at all"
Then persisted. / asked her if she
! perhaps
gotten.
Forgotten she repeated scornfulIy.
DO you suppose that woman could by
any possibility forget her own wedding?
But what is it, Jack? What is in your
mind?'
Then 1 told her Molly" said, last
night | forgot your letter. There was so
much to think and talk about with these
disclosures that ] forgot. This morning
| remembered. Then l hurried ashore. |
ran to the Crown 1t was just upon 6. L
was TOO late His lordship had gone out
in chair. l ran to the church. 1t was
just after s. The doors were open. I
heard voices. went in, Molly. Do not
say that | am dreaming. [ saw you-you,
| say-you yourself. with your pink silk
cloak, the hood pulled over your head a
domino to hide your face, just as had
been arranged"
You saw me. Jack? You saw me? How
could you see me2' 2
And your hand was fn Lord Fyling-
dale's, and Mr. Purden was pronouncing
Whom God hath joined together let no
man put aSunder.' f" -
She stared at meswith blank amaze
ment.
in your right mind. or is it | myself who
am gone diStraught?
Indeed l know not which.
Did you speak to me? Did you con-
gratulate the bride, Jack?"
NO: l was sick and sorry, Molly. I
went out of the church. / had seen
enough. The clerk, however, has been
telling the story of this private marriage
all over the town. Everybody knows it.
The marriage is duly entered in the reg
listers. 1t was marriage by the arch
bishops license. The man Purden may
be all that the vicar,s letter exposed, but
the marriage was in order
Molly said nothing for a while; then
she said gently: This letter from the
bookseller, your cousiin spoke of Lord
Fylingdale ruined. If he were to marry
woman with money, il would be his
Il believe that there are sometimes let
terS-biliS OF iadlnS or whatever they are
calied-which give the wife the control
of her own property: otherwise everything
becomes her husband
why did he wish to marry me? There
was never a gleam of love in his eye nor
a note of love III his voice Why, except
that he might get my money!"
That is, / am convinced. the reason"
"Villainy. villainy. villainyi Jack, this
is conspiracy. Some woman has been
made TO play my part. Then he will claim
me as his wife and lay hands upon all
NO Molly; he shall not while you have
friends"
Friends cannot help where the law or
| ders otherwise. So much / know Jack
Yet you can do one thing for me. You
can protect me from the man. He must
not take me away"
AN Lynn viii fight for YOU
Jack, | want more. | want all Lynn
to believe me. You have known me all
my life. Am | capable of such a change
OF mind? Am | capable of so monstrous
a falsehood as to steal out to marry the
man and then to declare that | have never
left the house? On. the villain, the vii
laini' Her cheek was afiame; her eyes
flashed.
I seized her hand. Molly" I cried,
they shall all believe you I will tell
the truth everywhere. -
Just then the garden door was thrown
open, and Sam Semple appeared. With
a smiling face an a bending knee he adj
vanced, bowling low
Permit me TO offer congra tulations to
the Countess of Fylingdale."
Il am not a countess. / am plain Molly
Miller"
Sam looked disconnected and puzzled I
perceived that, plot or no plot, he had
no hand in II.
q am come" he said. from his lord
ship"
Surely. madam; surely, my lady. there
is some misunderstanding | am sent by
his Iordship with his compliments to ask
when it viii be convenient for the count
ess to receive him"
You have been informed I suppose,
that | was married To him this morn
SCertainly, my lady"
Then go back to Lord Fylingdale and
tell him that he is a villain and a liar,
that ! have learned his true character.
and that | am not married to him and
that if he ventures to molest me my
friends viii protect me Give him that
message, sir, word Tor WOru.
Il believe, Sam. ! said, for his discom-
fture and bewilderment made him reel
and staCger. that you have no hand in
this new via9iny. 1t was you, however,
who brought that man to Lynn, knowing
his true character and his antecedents
Let us never see your face here again.
TO! If | thought you were in the plot,
would serve you again as the captain
served you three years ago.
lie went away without another word.
Then the captain came home, his face
troubled.
4 know not" he said f'what has hap
pened in this place | have seen Lord Fly
ingdale. / tod hims of the charges and
accusations r
We'll. did he deny them?'
"lie denied nothing and he admitted
nothing. He says that you married him
Il know He has sept Sam semple
here with the same story. Cap>>>.1, you
Believe you Moliy5 Why, if 1 did not
believe you, | should belieTe nothing. Be
lieve YOU Ny dear. would as soon
upon her arm and fhe tears came into
his eyes. My dear, L have been an old
fool. But l did it for the best. fe says
mat you are his wife: Let him come and
1T is not Molly that he would take; it
is Molly's fortune.
why, sir" she said ''if he takes the
whole and wastes and dissipates it, 50
long as he does not take me, what does 1t
natter2'
Then the vicar came again, and the
whole of the business had to be dis
cussed again At first he adhered to his
theory of unconscious action, because
scholar always likes to explain every
theory by examples chosen from Latin
and Greek authors. He had looked up
several more stories of the kind from /
know what folio volumes in his library
md came prepared to defend his opinion.
Eut the absolute certainty OF Mollys as
no a