Year: 1867




seryitude, had touched her heart; now,
however, the calm heroism with which
he undertook this perilous duty appeal
ed to her as nothing regarding him had
ever done before. 'He is noble-heart-
ed, brave mani" she said to herself, with
a bounding emotion of heart which had
real pleasure in it. After that day she
frequently thought of him; and she
who had lived amidst daily moral
teaching and Sunday church-going, re-
gardless of prayer for herself, now lift
ed up her heart in silent supplication
for him.


Jane Ibbotson grew more tender and
daughterly to her mother; but she never
thought Of opening her heart to her, for
they had never been confidential. Still
they were becoming more sympathetic;
aud Mrs. Ibbotson wrote to David's $
mother that she found growing COM
fort in her daughter.
It was indirectly owing to this letter
that Jane received soon afterwards an
invitation from Margaret st. Just, which
she so gladly accepted.


The heiress had begun her reign at
Saxonfield with almost unbounded hos
pitality; for the last few months, how
ever, she had lived very retired, on the
plea that her yet unfinished house was
unfit for the entertainment of guests.
People, however, explained this various
ly. Some said she was tickle; Others,
that the many offers of marriage she had
refused had caused q GOODNESS in these
several quarters.


But there was no GOODNESS in her man
ners towards her guest; on the contrary,
a nameless, une1pressed tenderness in
her manners made her reception Of Jane
that of beloved sister; nor was it long
before, as if to relieve herself from
burden which she could not bear alone,
she opened her heart to her.


She told that it was not until Mather,
having revealed his love in his own
honest, straightforward, somewhat
blunt fashion, and had been by her as
honestly, though not as bluntly reject
ed, and she had seen his whole joyous
being changed, like vernal landscape
scared by east-wind and frost; and then
how, with'a stern determination, he
abandoned the lite which had opened to
him such rich field. of pleasure and
usefulness, and flung himself on danger
and hardship, reckless of life, that he
might crush every bud of hope or love:
then it was, and not till then-when he
was gone past recall-that she found
her own life despoiled; and night and
day cry arose within her own soul for
that which she had cast from her.


~ cannot do things by halves" she
said. "He was gone. tried to school
myself into patience; thought of my
womanly dignity; but the longer l
strOve with myself, the more impera-
tive was the cry within my soul. Then
l turned to Ronald,-he was a great
friend of Buffers, who, whenever he
met with man honest and true, regard
ed him as q brother. l took him into
my confidence,-nay, do not start; l
could not compromise myself with this
true-hearted man. told him of the
mistake had made,-God knows it was
a hard task! but was in great strait,
ss between life and death. 1t was for
Mather as well as for myself. l shut my
eyes, therefore, as it were, and rushed
into the battle. But need not have
feared. Never shall forget, or cease
to be grateful for, his brotherly sympa-
thy and intelligence, and for the readi-
ness with which he undertook my mis-
sion, which was simply to join him, be
where he might, and to give him q seal
ed letter from me. l only wrote.-


"If:a welcome at Saxonfield will re-
pay the fatigue of return, come and
receive it from Margaret st. just"


Such was Miss st. Just's confession:
and, whilst listening to it, James own
heart was unlocked to herself: but she
made no confession in return.


1t was now autumn. Month after
month had passed since Ronald left,
and no tidings came. No one knew, but
Jane lbbotsOn, the exact purport of the
young mans journey, whatever the Lat
tencover people might surmise; but
none could fail to observe that some
mysterious influence was operating upon
the heiress. She was often depressed;
more often variable in temper. and pas
sionately irritable. The truth was that
she, to whom &C lion was life, was fret
ted by the total blank which seemed to
surround her. Jane, who kept silence,
passed through no less severe a"disci-
pline; but her friend, wholly occupied
by herself, saw no kindred emotion in
her bosom, or accepted il merely az the
homage of sympathy.


At length, without letter or intelli-
gence Of any kind,-for there were no
telegraphs in those days, at least none
available for those remote Places
Mather came. He had travelled night
and day after receiving the missive
from Ronald; steam, by land or sea,
could not carry him rapidly enough.
But here he now was, resOlute, impul-
sive, rejoicing; yet no sooner had he
crossed the threshold than his mans
courage forsook him, and, hesitating
aud blushing till his honest face was all
one strange red, he stood in her pres
ence, awkward and unable to say n
word. She, too, at sight of him, burst
into tears and was silent.


His servants and luggage had, in the
mean time, arrived at Lattencover; and
with them came q short letter from
Ronald to his mother, the purport Of
which was, that he stayed behind at
Jaffa, intending to join n r"rty then
setting of for Syria.


All now was happiness at Saxonfeld;
the lovers, the most devoted in the
WOElu, pCilCSb iofCf
thatsperfect understanding which casts
out fear. That which was wanting
had been supplied; that which was
sought for had been found. E.Et


The time fixed for the marriage was
early spring. In the mean time, merry
Christmas was to be kept. All the ten
ants and dependents were to be feasted,
so that they might rejoice altogether.
Their residence would be Saxontield,-
by far the best of the two mansions; and
the steward was still to inhabit the
Hall at Lattencover. .


Probably the exuberant spirits Of the
heiress, and the open-hearted express
sion of her lovers joy, reacted on Jane;
be that as it might, whilst the very
walls of Saxonfield seem to echo back q
jubilant exultation, she began to feel
out of her place. Her mother had given
her consent to her already long visit be-
ing extended over Christmas. But she
longed to be at Lattencever. Her heart
yearned, especially towards Dayids
mother: and one afternoon, entering
the little parlor where the woman sat
mending the family stockings, she seat
ed herself BY her side, and said


po.alI haffar nth lnr-