But before long she accepted the
offered situation of governess to Lady Annabel, the only child of
the late marquis's elder brother, at that time himself marquis,
and removed to Lossie House. There the late marquis fell in love
with her, and persuaded her to a secret marriage. There also she
became, in the absence of her husband, the mother of Malcolm. But
the marquis of the time, jealous for the succession of his daughter,
and fearing his brother might yet marry the mother of his child,
contrived, with the assistance of the midwife, to remove the infant
and persuade the mother that he was dead, and also to persuade
his brother of the death of both mother and child; after which,
imagining herself wilfully deserted by her husband, yet determined
to endure shame rather than break the promise of secrecy she had
given him, the poor lady accepted the hospitality of her distant
relative, Miss Horn, and continued with her till she died.
When he learned where she had gone, Mr Graham seized a chance of
change to Portlossie that occurred soon after, and when she became
her cousin's guest, went to see her, was kindly received, and for
twenty years lived in friendly relations with the two. It was not
until after her death that he came to know the strange fact that the
object of his calm unalterable devotion had been a wife all those
years, and was the mother of his favourite pupil.
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