in her hand the fair form of the young bride that never came home gathered from the radiance an aspect of life and seemed to float forth from the dark canvas like a holy spirit of beauty and blessing shadow and substance � dead mother and living child � these twain gazed on each other through cloud of impenetrable mystery � nor is it impossible to conceive that some contact between them might through the of a thought a longing a prayer have been at that mystic moment with a sudden cry of irresistible emotion stretched out her arms and dropping on her knees broke out into a passion of tears oh mother mother i she sobbed � oh darling mother i how i would have loved j tn such under the silent of the lost and loving dead tie long deserted old received back the sole daughter of its to that protection which we understand or did understand at one time in our history as home home was once a safe and sacred institution in england there seemed no of its ever being by the public that it has in a great measure been so is no advantage to the and that many women young and old prefer to be seen in over dressed taking their meals in eating houses rather than essay the becoming grace of a simple and sincere hospitality to their friends in their own homes is no evidence of their improved taste or good breeding s was in every sense home in the old english sense of the word its ancient walls by long tradition formed a peaceful and sweet harbour of rest for a woman s life � and the tranquil dignity of her old world surroundings with all the legends and memories they awakened soon had a effect on s temperament which under her aunt s influence had been more or less and uneasy she began to feel at peace with herself and all the world � while the relief she experienced at having deliberately severed herself by both word and act from the attentions of a too persistent and detested lover in the person of lord future duke of was as keen and as that of a child who has run away from school she was almost confident that the fact of her having thrown off her aunt s protection together with all hope of her aunt s wealth would be sufficient to keep him away from her for the future for it is aunt s money he wants � not me she said to herself � he doesn t care a about me personally � any woman will do provided she has the millions and when he knows i ve given up the millions and don t intend ever to have the millions he ll leave me alone and hell go over to america in search of somebody else � some proud daughter of oil or pork or steel i � and what a blessing that will be i god s good man meanwhile such excitement as had been caused in st rest by the return of th squire s and by the almost dismissal of had weu nigh a new agent had been appointed and though had left the immediate vicinity having employment on sir s lands he had secured a cottage for himself in the small hamlet of he also undertook some work for the reverend in assisting him to form an collection for the private museum at hall mr had a singular fellow feeling for insects � he studied their habits and collected specimens of various kinds in bottles or pinned them on � he was an interested observer of the manners practised by the harvest and the sagacious customs of the spider � as well as the many surprising and agreeable talents developed by the common s hatred of was not lessened by the apparently useful and scientific nature of the employment he had newly taken up under the guidance of his reverend � and whenever he caught a butterfly and ran his pin through its quivering body at s bland command he thought of her and wished that she might perish as swiftly and utterly as the winged lover of the flowers every small bright thing in nature s garden that he and brought home as inspired him with the same secret fierce desire the act of killing a beautiful or harmless creature gave him pleasure and he did not disguise it from himself the reverend was delighted with his and with the many valuable additions he made to the specimen cards and bottles and the two became constant companions in their search for fresh victims among the and fields st rest as a village was only too glad to be rid of s long detested presence to care anything at all as to his further occupations or future career � and only kept as he said an eye on him was a somewhat curious personage � as he showed himself on most occasions he was both shrewd and no stone was more than he when he chose in his heart he had set as second to none save his own master john � her beauty and grace her firm action with regard to the rescue of the five sisters and her quick dismissal of had all inspired him with the most unbounded admiration god s good man and respect and he felt that he now had a interest in life � the � and the lady of the but he found very little opportunity to talk his new and cherished theme of miss and miss s many attractions to � for john always shut him up on the subject with quite a and decision whenever he so much as mentioned her name which conduct on the part of one who was generally so willing to hear and patient to listen somewhat surprised for he argued 