, 1886-07-16
other as we are; we need not see much Of

'tit ~ We dtt, " c httN
one another, you know"
They had just reached the gate Leading
into the garden OF the Ness us
she said this, and unconsciotsly
she paused outside. jim took this,
coupled with her last words. ms II hint
, that he should go, and he was mere hurt
than he cared to own.
Good afternoon he said stifiiy, raising
his hat. Your suggestion is a brilliant
one, and you need not fear that / shall
trouble you with my presence more often
than is necessary"
~You are coming in,r she said, looking
at him with panied, pleading eyes"
"Thank you, no" he said coldly. II
have seen Mrs. Messenger and your
brother. and the children will keep"
Goodbye" she said, turning in at the
open gate in order that he might not see
the rising tears.
Goodbye he said freezingly, thinking
her absolutely cruel in not shaking hands
She went up the little sloping avenue
slowly and sadly, trying to crush back the
tears, which would rise to her eyes in
spite of her efforts. She succeeded before
reaching the hall, and could answer her
sisters surprised questions quite calmly
"My dear Mary" she said, laughing gen
tly, "you forget Il changed relations
You must not expect him to come rs
often as he used. We have both come to
the conclusion that we are quite different
from what we had thought each other,
and we have mutually agreed to see as
little as possible of each other
But when she reached her own room,
her self deserted her, and she cast
herself down on the little couch, and wept
long and bitterly.
II hate himi' she said to herself vim
dlctively. Il do; / hate mimi No, l done;
/ believe / do the very opposite. Oh, l
ought to be ashamed OF myself, to care for
any one so utterly Indifferent to mel
He didn't even come in, and after all these
years. He shall never know that l love
him, never However much may suffer,
| have enough pride to hide 1t. lie shall
think me as indifferent as he is himself"
Her mouth took n hard look very foreign
to its sweet lines, as she rose and bathed
her face; and through all that evening she
bore herself SO brayely, that no one
guessed of the bitterness n wounded
pride she thus smilingly hid.
II.
II Mrs. Messenger had been given to
abstruse reflections, she might have asked
herself how Jim and Nancy could posi-
bly, avoid each other, according to their
compact, when he was always coming to
the Ness? For he came every day, and at
all hours OF the day, as he had been wont
to do five years Z There was one differ
ence between this daily intercourse and
thai OF old times, and that a rather i'm
portant one. Nancy lost all her gentls
brightness when speaking to jim, and was
coldly, distantly polite to him. He saw
this, and no doubt resented 1t, but Nancy
never guessed that from his manner Ho
did everything he could think of to please
her, but with no outward effect. In
wardly, she knew that her love for him
was strengthening day by day, and that
no power OF hers could prevent 1t.
Jim was in n most trying position. He
knew himself to he deeply in love with
Nancy, his feeling for her had never died, AS
he had imagined; but with the knowledge
OF her as n sweet, noble woman, came the
knowledge that he had forfeited the right
to tell her of his love. His letters had
been of a kind of which he had wearied
when he ceased to be a youth. But, nx-
ious that his own letters should not be as
embarrassing to her, as hers were to him,
he had written in a boyish, semi-frivolous
strain. which he thought would be pleas
ing to her, as natural to herself. He could
not understand how such a thoughtful,
intelligent girl as he knew her to be, could
have written such shallow, characterless
letters. lie supposed that she had not
cared for him enough to write about what
she felt interested in.
His position with regard to Nancy was
much worse than that of any mere &C
quaintnnce. Every other man could tell
her Of his love while it seemed to Jim
that he had lost this right by gladly agree
ing to cancel their engagement. What
-Wade matters worse vas that Nancy
-~ TO drean} the. aqy other
~. -the qreJont Constrained
4 s%sIandsnip was possible between them.
One afternoon he found her alone; n
very rare occurrence, indeed, for she was
careful TO avoid tete-a tete with him.
shall WE 90 into the gardenY" she
asked, thinking that anything was pref
cradle TO sitting stitfy in the drawing
room.
II should like it immensely" he an
swercd, rising, and opening the door with
a%lacrity. "Will you take me to our old
f%avor,te seati | have often thought of
those old days when | was feeling home
sick, Nancy
Il thought you were very happy in
India, she said unresponsively.
so | was, but | was home-sick some
times, especially when | first went out
This is the seat, is it notf" she asked, MS
II she might have easily forgotten the place
where he had first told her of his lovel
Yes, this is it, he said dreamily, look
ing out over the cliffs and sea.
MIR. Penstone and Ialways quarrel over
this view said Nancy, anxious to prevent
any embarrassing pause.
"Who is Mr.. Penstonci@ asked Jim, knit.
ting his brows.
He Is our %curate," she answered. ~ al
ways say that this is the finest view In tn,
town, but Mr.. Penstone maintains thai
the view from
ale must be an idiot, thenl7 burst IL
Jim hotly; the views are not to be com
paredY'
"You might have waited until ! ha,
mentioned the other, - said Nancy, raisin,
her eyebrows.
IL beg your pardon he said, in ute
confusion. Il thought you must mean
IN fact, | understood you to say-that-th
view from the Beacon was finer tina
this
ayes. that is what Mr.. Penstone de
%clares,r she said.
"What a hideous name the mar has
said Jim irritably. "of course you are dt
voted to him. Nancyf'
AYES. he is so very good and clever an
pleasant she said, surprised at his vche
mence.
"lou are going to marry him, l SUP
poser he said with ill-concealed anger.
you forget yourself, | think, " she ans
wered with gentle dignity. And whom
may marry can be no possible concern o
yours"
"Oh. none, OF course" he said furiousiy
"Only you might have told me the trutl
when You broke oil our engagement.
would have been Just as easy to say tina
you were engaged to someone else a
once"
You are entirely mistaken in thinking