Year: 1879

not discussed IN my presence. 1t was
not until had retired to my own pretty
room for the night that l overheard the
sisters discussing the problem, unmind-
ful of the thin partition between the
head of my bed and theirs.


found that money y-or It's scarcity
stood in the way, and heard the chances
of the matrimonial market calculated
with balance greatly in favor OF Lon
don.


Money! How | hated the word l
would have given every shilling L pos
sessed TO be assured that Edgar Neville
was true to me, and would seek me out
when the period ofprobation prescribed
by eur father was gone by. But where
could he seek Tor me? He knew not my
address, and my father had withheld
Edgar's from me. Ah, how he repent
ed before he died! How glad he would
have been to have left me in those
strong, protective arms!


soon bridged the monetary difficulty
over in spite Of my uncle's opposition,
and think showed something of my
old self in the spirit with which | enter
ed into the needful preparations for
Miss Rltson's launch on the sea of Lon
don society, little thinking what might
be its import to myself.


1t was Nav when she went, and |
suggested that she should tighten her
mourning, being about to visit BRIDE
"A hint she seemed glad to take, for
her pretty lavender bonnet set off her
face much better than her heavy Grape.


She kissed me very heartily before she
got into the gig beside her father TO be
driven to the station, to which her
boxes had already been dispatched, and
I felt more satisfied with myself than l
had done since l had crossed the Cum
berland border.


Letters filled with wonders she had
seen and the places she had visited
broke up the mohotony of our lives
Then came one from Hastings, in which
she told Of her introduction to a Mr..
Neville.


1 think my pulse stopped as Winnie
read out the name. know aunt asked
me if | was lll-if the heat was too
much for me. But | drew myself .c-
gether, said nothing was the matter,
and tried to convince myself that the
name was a common one.


Again and again we heard of this same
Mr.. Neyille, and my heart begaR TO be
torn with doubts and suspicious, and a
very demon of jealousy seemed to take
possession Of my breast. Iielt assured
that Bella was in love with him, and he
was the Edgar Neville ofmy alteration I;
all that she stated Of his appearance and
family were convincing.


At length a letter came addressed in
manly hand 10 Uncle Ritson, with
Edgar's well-known crest upon the seal.
1t was a proposal for my Cousins hand.


NV head swan round. out summon
ed courage to ask Mr.. Neyille's Chris
tan name. He had merely signed j.
E. Neville.


All, that was it sure enough-JOhn
Edgar!


l had my back toward my uncle,
standing in the doorway, as I asked
No one noticed how I staggered INTO
the hall or how I snatched my hat
from the stand and dartcd up the noun
tain.side to cool my fevcred brow and
still my throbbing pulses. How went
or where I went l could never remem-
Der. | have some recollection of fall
inc as bounded across q beck, Of old
Elspa's face bending over me, and then
no more. until l found myself in my
own snowy bed, with Winnie watching
me and an array Of physic bottles on
the window-seat.


Elspa had found me where l had fall
len half in half out Of the strean.-
Unable to drag me thence, she had
summoned help with a peculiar whistle
she kept suspended TO her girdle, the
shrill note of which no shepherd dared
to disobey.


1t brought couple of shepherds to
the spot. My limbs were lifted out of
the stream-she had already bathed my
brow and plastereJ up my temple-and
then 1 was carried slowly down to in
terrupt the answer Uncle RitsOn was
sending to Bella and Mr.. Neville.


My fall and the immersion were nc-
credited with the prolonged fever which
almost baffled my uncle's skill. If any
one suspected otherwise it was old
Elspa. but she was too wise to revert
to the subject when she came to see
me ere my convalescence.


Very slowly was my recovery, re-
tardcd no doubt by the scraps Winnie
read to me as pleasant ne,cS from her
SISTERS letters. 1t was now Eddie
this. or Eddie that and as | shut
nv eyes and ground my teeth, the bet
ter to endure, felt indignant that my
noble.fronted Edgar should have a pet
name like a baby. To me he had the
majesty of a monarch. How could she
address him so?


| was down stairs before the Christ
mas came, able and willing to assist my
aunt in her multitudinous preparations
and tried to smile and look gratliied
during the Christmas merry-making.
hoard. but hardly seemed to realize