"The
story is a very simple one, and so sad that nothing short of necessity
would force me to tell it. I was, when quite young, engaged to your
aunt, Miss Heston, to whom I was much attached, and who was then
twenty years of age. Though I had little besides my profession, she
had money, and we were going to be married. The circumstances under
which the marriage was broken off were as follow:--Three days before
the wedding was to take place I went unexpectedly to the house, and
was told by the servant that Miss Heston was upstairs in her sitting-
room. I went upstairs to the room, which I knew well, knocked and got
no answer. Then I walked into the room, and this is what I saw. Your
aunt was lying on the sofa in her wedding dress (that is, in half of
it, for she had only the skirt on), as I first thought, asleep. I went
up to her, and saw that by her side was a brandy bottle, half empty.
In her hand also was a glass containing raw brandy. While I was
wondering what it could mean, she woke up, got off the sofa, and I saw
that she was intoxicated."
"It's a lie!" said Edward excitedly.
"Be careful what you say, sir," answered the Colonel, "and wait to say
it till I have done."
"As soon as I realised what was the matter, I left the room again, and
going down to your grandfather's study, where he was engaged in
writing a sermon, I asked him to come upstairs, as I feared that his
daughter was not well.
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