The garden, with its poor pale scentless autumn flowers, had a dreary look under the dull gray sky.

He thought of the big empty house, with its faded traces of vanished splendour, and of Marian's lonely life in it, with unspeakable pain.

How different from the sunny home which he had dreamed of in the days gone by--the happy domestic life which he had fancied they two might lead! "And she loves this man well enough to endure the dullest existence for his sake," he said to himself as he turned his back at last upon the tall iron gate, having lingered there for some minutes after Marian had re-entered the house.

"She could forget all our plans for the future at his bidding." He thought of this with a jealous pang, and with all his old anger against his unknown rival.

Moved by an impulse of love and pity for Marian, he had promised that this man should suffer no injury at his hands; and, having so pledged himself, he must needs keep his word.