Year: 1867

tear fall upon it, and turned away his head to con
ceal the moisture in his own eyes.


LET US now retire, my good Fergus, )" he said
II am weak and weary"


Thus the singular interview came to an end


In half an hour, the young nobleman and hi
servant were sleeping TRANQUILITY.
XIV.
TIE HOUR APPRoACHEs..sars. ..
The announcements shata NE sfnourtaih besuty''
was about to leave the Capital, in the height Of
the season, created great sensation.


1t was now well known, however, that Honoria
was betrothed to Lord Ruthven; and the gallants
consoled themselves with the reflection that per
haps it was better to have removed from them sc
dangerous temptation.


There were many present at COL Carter's te
take leave of Lady Brand and her beautiful daugh
ter; and the numbering chariot, to which six hor
ses had been harnessed in view of the heavy
roads, was followed by many eyes.
All felt thata portion of the spendor and dattrac
ton of the Capital had gone away in that chariot
and untilsome newer beauty came to rule the hour
the halls where Honorias lovely face did not ap
pear, were rather dull


The young lady herself, however, was far from
regretting her fathers decision to return to Had.
don.


Honoria had latterly, shrunk with species Of
disgust even with sort of nervous terror
from the brilliant scenes in which she had former.
ly reveled. All had grown dull and dreary, if not
positively hateful; and she longed for her quiet
chamber, in the old country mansion, to retire to
and collect her feverish and disordered thoughts.


The girl had lived in sort of dream since her
betrothal to Lord Ruthven. A strange apathy
had succeeded the wild wretchedness which had
seized upon her at the announcement. Discover
ing, speedily, that her fathers will could not be
affected, that he was unalterably determined to
bestow her hand upon the nobleman, Honoria
no longer struggled, but gave up all thought of
resistance, and only asked to be left in quiet until
the moment of sacrifice. In this mood she reach
ed Haddon


As the carriage rolled by the great oak tree, un-
der whose broad boughs she had given her troth to
Innis felt his lips pressed to her own and leaning
On his bosom, clasped him in that long, pure, lin,
gering embrace-as the scene rose up again before
her. on the chill bleak afternoon, when the leaf
less oak once heavy with its brilliant foliage, seem
ed to represent her life and the great change
Honoria uttered deep sob, and sank back in her
seat with pang more terrible than any which she
had yet experienced.


Thenceforth, she felt that all was over. That
morning, when clasped in her true lovers arms,
she had shed tears of overhowing happiness now
she seemed to be separated from the presently long
centuries Of suffering She turned away her eyes
from the spot, covered her face and did not look
up again until the chariot reached the great porti
Co.


But the agonies of recollection had only commen,
ced The weird old oak tree was only one Of q
thousand objects which recalled her past. The
great hall where they had so often walked to and
fro, in happy talk; the drawing room where SC
many sunny hours had fled away in his society
her mothers chamber, whittier Innis had repaired
so often, and where the great chair by the fire still
seemed to retain the impress of his form; these
and hundred other portions of the old mansion
now proved sources of unspeakable misery to the
young lady.


She felt that she loved him more profoundly thar
before, and when at night she threw herself upor
the couch, exhausted with the long trying day, she
burst into food of tears and sobbed herself asleep


But we must hurry on to the events that follow
ed. To live without Innis seemed miserable
impossibility to Honoria, but our poor, weak, hu
man natures bear much woe without succumbing
Life may be 'emptied of all joy, - and worthless
but we still live on.


The hours passed slowly for Honoria, but they
passed and finally, the day appointed for the eel
ebration of her nuptials, with Lord Ruthven, drew
near


The preparations had been splendid, and the
whole country side had been invited. A great anc
imposing entertainment was to mark the occasion
and no parsonage of any consideration, male or fe
male, in the surrounding region, was omitted
Honoria took no part in the arrangement leaving
everything to her father and mother; or rather
solely to the latter, for Sir Rein sat- grandy a
before in his library with lordly indifererce, ap
parently, to the whole affair.


Lady Brand had long before given up all hope
of ayerting her daughters misery-had yielded tc
the imperious will Of her husband-and now nc
human power seemed able to interrupt the con
summation OF the nuptlals.


XIV.
WHAT TOOK PLACE AT THE GREAT DINNER.


The day at last arrived. Haddon was overflow
ing with company already, though the greater
number of the guests had been invited for the
evening only.


1t was one of those mornings of February, wher
the skies seem to frown in sombrc gloom upon tn,
earth, when the ground is wrapped in SNOWY
shroud, and the chill winds sweep across the bar
rem waste with mournful sigh, and die away lik'
groan in the melancholy pines.


In spite of the occasion, chilly influence fel
upon the assembled company; and the pale, thin
face, and hollow eyes of Honoria, as she moved II
and fro, like ghost, among the guests, did no
lessen the impression Of gloom.


Lord Ruthven reached Haddon just as the guest
sat down to dinner, wrapped in his heavy furs, ant
looking pale and harrassed. The smoking horse
of his chariot proved that the journey had beer
an arduous one, through the heavy snow; and th'


fact served to explain, in part the absence Of buoy
ant spirits in the bridegroom.


But rest, rich viands and generous wine, did no
seem to make Lord Ruthven more cheerful. Hi
countenance was so sombre that every one noticed
it, and it was whispered that when he looked a
Honoria, who sat near him, he turned paler thai
before. .,


The young lady sustained the public gaze will
difficulty At times, her pallor was such that sh
seemed about to faint and once or twice, Lad