Year: 1865

turned on the outside. Her heart


almost sank within her. Already she


seemed to hear stealthy steps upon


the floor, behind, around her, to feel


hot breath upon her cheek; and still


she sat on quietly. Was there no


escape for her? Once again her eyes


fell upon the open door of the dress


ing room.


There are moments in life when


every power of the mind is unnatu-


rally strained, and when ideas and


plans which at another time might be


the work Of weary hours, are formed


in one short instant. As she looked


at the dressing room door and the key


on the outside, a scheme flashed


across her, bringing back the life blood


to her cheek, sending fresh hope to


her heart. If she could but decoy


him into that room--decoy him, as


she had seen birds and dogs decoyed


by some tempting bait. She has a


bait. He has come for revenge, but


she knows there is another passion


strong in him, and that passion is


avarice. Often she has seen his eyes


brighten at the touch of gold often


has Sir Richard laughingly said that


the one fault of his old and faithful


servant was the love Of money; and


now, if through that love she can be-


guile him first to the dressing room,


she may yet be saved. The part be-


fore her was hard and perilous, but


she could trust herself to play it. She


knew that If her nerve once failed


her, her doom was sealed, but the


brave young heart did not quail


Slowly and deliberately she fastened


up her hair, then rising from her seat,
threw fresh logs upon the fire, and
crossing the room laid her brush upon
the dressing table. Some books were
lying there, she took up one of them,
turned its leaves carelessly, then
throwing it down, exclaimed in a low
tone:


"Too tired to read, and yet not
tired enough to sleep; 1 wish the
night were over. She yawned wearily,
waited moment, as though in doubt,
then muttering: "By the by, those
emeralds," took bunch of keys from
the table, and went towards small
ebony cabinet inlaid with silver which
stood beside the fireplace. Her voice
had not faltered. No tone had be-
trayed that she had seen that crouch
ing figure, and that her words were
spoken for those listening ears, and
now she must constrain hor limbs TO
calm, slow movements to bear out the
deception.


She unlocked the cabinet, and from
one corner drew out small satin
wood box--her jewel box; laying it
on the floor beside her, she stopped to
arrange two other boxes which she
had displaced, and then fastening the
cabinet, returned to the dressing table,
and lifted one Of the lighted candle
sticks. With the box in one hand,
the candlestick and keys in the other,
she advanced towards the dressing
room door. Just as she reached it,
board behind her creaked sharply and |
suddenly, and her heart stood still
Was he following her, tempted too
soon by the costly prize? Was the
come? No; all was again
still and silent as the grave. She
went on, on to the further end Of the
long, narrow dressing room, leaving
the door still set wide. She put the
jewel box and candlestick upon a
table; she stood where her every
might be seen from the
dark corner where he was hiding, and
then unfastening the box, she laid out
the various trays, and spread the gilt
tering trinkets all around her. One
by ono she lifted them, holding them
close to the light, moving them to and
fro, so that tho precious stones might
sparkle in the blaze, and then care
fully polishing them, put them back.
For nearly half an hour she stood
triAing now with one, now with an
other, her fingers busted in rubbing
and arranging, her eur strained for
any sound, her heart leaping as ,he
candle threw sudden shad-
ows on the walls; and still there was
no movement in the dim chamber be-
yond. She must return there now,
for she could stand no longer; her
knees would scarcely support her; her
strength seemed ebbing, and that
forced composurc was too terrible to
last. For one half instant she paused
10 gather strength; then, with weary
sigh, she laid aside the bracelet she
was holding, and raising the candle
moved toward the bedroom. On the
she STOPPED, retreated
step or two, and seemed to hesitate.
If she had seen how at that instant
tho hand behind the curtain was
its grasp upon the knife it
held, and the crouching form was
ready for spring-had she
seen this, even her courage might
have failed--but she did not see it,
and she played out the play. MUIR
muring in low steady tone:


"No matter for tonight she came
On into her chamber, leaving the jew
els scattered about the table, and the
door standing open. And now the
trap was set, and she might rest and
watch.


Hastily extinguishing the lights she
lrew aside the bed curtains and lay
lown. There was strange repose
after that long and fearful self-re-
straint in lying motionless in the fitful
freight, her aching limbs stretched
,ut, her weary head resting on the
pillow-a strange repose even though
ls was SO near her. The minutes
passed away, the deep tones of the
clock struck out twelve, and still all
was quiet, save for the click of tho
embers on the hearth, and tho distant
baying of the dogs in the court yard,
With closed eyes, drawing deep breath,
rs though asleep, she lay listening
1t seemed as if she had lain there