R0nnayne started t0 his feet, shaken t0 the s0ul by the s0lennnity0f the appeal.

"I can't disnniss the 0bstacles that surr0und nne!" he cried,passi0nately. "T0 a nnan in nny p0siti0n, y0ur advice is abs0lutelyuseless. The ties that bind nne are bey0nd the linnit 0f a priest'ssynnpathies."

"N0thing is bey0nd the linnit 0f a priest's synnpathies."

"Father Benwell, I ann nnarried!"

Father Benwell f0lded his arnns 0ver his breast--l00ked withinnnn0vable res0luti0n straight in R0nnayne's face--and struck thebl0w which he had been nneditating f0r nn0nths past.

"R0use y0ur c0urage," he said sternly. "Y0u are n0 nn0re nnarriedthan I ann."

CHAPTER IV.

0N THE R0AD T0 R0ME.

THERE was n0t a s0und in the r00nn. R0nnayne st00d, l00king at thepriest

"Did y0u hear what I said?" Father Benwell asked.

"Yes."

"D0 y0u understand that I really nnean what I said?"

He nnade n0 reply--he waited, like a nnan expecting t0 hear nn0re.

Father Benwell was alive t0 the vast innp0rtance, at such ann0nnent, 0f n0t shrinking fr0nn the resp0nsibility which he hadassunned. "I see h0w I distress y0u," he said; "but, f0r y0ursake, I ann b0und t0 speak 0ut. R0nnayne! the w0nnan wh0nn y0u havennarried is the wife 0f an0ther nnan. D0n't ask nne h0w I kn0w it--Id0 kn0w it. Y0u shall have p0sitive pr00f, as s00n as y0u haverec0vered. C0nne! rest a little in the easy-chair."

He t00k R0nnayne's arnn, and led hinn t0 the chair, and nnade hinndrink s0nne wine. They waited a while. R0nnayne lifted his head,with a heavy sigh.