The herald., 1898-04-24

doubt, for he had scarcely returned to
perfect recollection of the common
places Of life and hardly knew what to
say.
Mrs. Vallances smile, however, lit.
tie reassured him. In her heart OF
hearts she had almost wished that
what had happened should come to
pass, and she had just now no other
thought than that the young fellow be-
fore her had made her darling happy.
IT can guess" she said, WITH p smile.
which had the merest touch Of gravity
in it, as Grant attempted to speak;
"you need not tell me. 1t Is rather
sudden, but you have made Ethel hap
py, and that will be sufficient for us,
1 fancy"
Grant did not speak for minute or
SO. and when he did. he simply said,
I'm the happiest, proudest fellow In
England, now that 1 know you are on
our side"
Mrs. Valance sat down and left him
chatter In this vein until Ethel re-
turned, shy. but with the light that
comes but once into a girls eyes, In
hers. the glad, proud light of perfect
trust and satisfaction.
They all three chatted on, over the
tea which was brought in Just before
Ethel returned, till the light faded
quite, and they scarcely could see each
others faces. A neighboring clock
struck six, and then Mrs. Valance
said:
my dear. we must go and dress, or
we shall keep father and the dinner
waiting"
When Mr.. Valance had come in ana
had heard the news from his wife, the
two men talked 1t over, and the father
was won over as the mother had been,
only he said as they went out Of the
room to Join the others:
Mind no formal announcement Of
the engagement till you return from
the South. Ethel Is very inexperienced,
and might after all whilst you're away
change her mind"
Grant rejoined, Every well, sir. I'm
not afraid"
Early the following day Evan left
London for his home in Devon.
1t had been arranged that he
should join the "Thebes," at Plymouth
after spending the night with his peo-
pie. Doctor Gerard came from London
on the steamer.
Next day his family accompanied
Evan to see him OF, and watched the
'Thebes" steam away down the Sound,
and then out into the Sound, and then
out into the oper Channel, with Grant
and the doctor like two small dark
blots waving their handkerchiefs from
the stern.
The silence. the sense Of complete
rest for the first day or two positively
depressed Grant, and set his mind al
most aching from the relaxness of it's
tension. At length, however, the feel
ing somewhat wore off, and by the time
the "Thebes" steamed in sight Of Glib
raltar, he was quite himself again.
From Gibraltar, which they left at
sundown of the Wednesday following
their departure from Plymouth, to
Brindisi where they picked up some
overland passengers and the mails, was
a splendid run. The sky was cloudless.
the sea like sapphire, here and there
flecked with snowy foam, the white
lips Of babbling wavelets; and dim and
low on the starboard quarter, for the
first day, the Morocco and Algerian
coasts could be seen wrapped in a light,
transparent haze. Then two days later
the southern coast of Sardinia was
passed at distance Of about ten or
fifteen miles.
Port Said. with Its hustle and the
noisy disputing of the loafers of all
colors and nationalities which lined the
quays. was a revelation and a new
phase of Eastern life and manners to
Grant. But his companion had the
geography Of the place at his fingers
ends, and so they soon found their way
to a house-dignified with the appela-
ton Of hotel-where they could gain
shelter from the noise and blazing
sun.
The same evening. after strolling
through two or three of the streets,
they took train for Cairo, where they
intended to mature their plans, char
ter a cange. engage some fellahin, and
then start down the Nile to a little
village above Luxor.
Grant had already nearly identified
the spot he was to search for with the
doctor, who possessed a thorough
knowledge Of the Valley Of the Kings
(Biban- ell Moulek) and the district
round Thebes, Karnak and Luxor.
TO BE CONTINUED.