Year: 1872

come MS Vile. why, BIG mou1u A"'e he'o Ao
name-would absolutely have been Mrs. No
body! And to think of her trousseau being
nearly ready, and everything. What will
people say? We will be the talk ofthe town
And l. who have always tried SO hard to do
my duty in life, to be the victim Of such a
misfortune; to have my daughter treated in
such way. Imust say it's very hard. And
to think of all the property going to that lit
tie hump-backed boy. It's frightful to think
of; it really is don't see anything to be
done, Clare, but for your papa to take you
with him to Europe; then perhaps people will
forget about it."


II am very willing to 60 to Europe, mann
ma, if you desire it; though I'm sure don't
care much what people say" Clare answered
wearily. shewas tired of hearing the subject
discussed in that way;it grated horribly on
her feelings.


"Not care what people say! I must say,
Glare, you are very difficult to understand. /
believe you are very glad to be out of it, for
my part"


"Not glad to be out Of it at such cost,
said Glare. II care enough for Brooke, NAM
ma, to wish most truly that this misfortune
had not befallen him. You can't think me SO
utterly heartless as not to think of him."


"I don't know about your being heartless
I only know that this engagement of yours
has been source of enough trouble to us all
to me, at any rate"


"I am sure that is no fault of mine," said
Glare. "In the first place, you know you
brought the engagement about; 1 doubt if
Brooke ever would of thought of it otherwise. "


eyes, reproach me; I deserve it, no doubt.
That is the reward I get for trying to secure
your happiness. But it is always the way.
Henceforth shall let you alone, and I trust
you may be the happier for it."


II trustso," Glare could not forbear saying.
"Heaven knows, I have not been very happy
so far. don't mean to be disrespectful, nam.
ma, but indeed, you goad me into saying it. ;"


"Oh you may say exactly what you please;
I goad you into it, have no doubt. am a
most cruel and unfeeling person, I am we'll
aware; but I wash my hands in future Of
your affairs; you may manage them as you
please" And the much-tried lady wound up
with burst of tears.


All of which was not particularly cheering
to Glare, whose position at this time was GER
taihly trying one. She was deeply grieved
to hear of Brooke's misfortune, and compass.
sion for him at first swallowed up all other
considerations !; but she was not absolutely in
different to the opinions and criticisms Of 80
ciety, and it was very painful to her to think
that her affairs would soon become subject Of
general discussion in the circle of her friends
and acquaintance. Every one would pity
her, of course and her soul revolted against
pity. She hated the idea of going about and
meeting people she knew, and being stared at
and commented upon; 80 upon the whole she
was not averse to the idea Of going abroad
with her father for the summer months, at the
end of which time she trusted the commotion
excited by the affair would have blown over


Mr.. Ransome, who was good-hearted man
was particularly kind and considerate to his
daughter at this period, which was the more
consolatory to her, as her mother chose to as.
sumo peculiarly digni6ed and distant de-
meanor. He had sincerely liked and esteem.
ed Brooke, and was heartily sorry for this
sudden and unwelcome turn in the tide of bis
fortunes. "He doesn't deserve such hard
fate upon my word he doesn't" he said
"Of all men, he deserves to prosper, because
he's such fine, generous, warm-hearted fel.
low. I still hope he may come out oil right
in the end"


Brooke had himself written to Glare, to tell
her the whole matter. In this letter, after
making the needful explanations, he said,


"It is some consolation for me to know that
in breaking off our engagement you will ex.
perience 10 pain, beyond that which you will
be generous enough to feel in regard to my
suferings. On the latter / do not care to
dwell, nor have I a right to force them on
your notice. The reversion have met with
is one too tremendous for me quite to realize
even yet. I am bereft not only of my posi-
ton in the world, but of my very name; my
nearest and dearest earthly ties are broken
and I will have to begin life totally anew
Under such circumstances, our future paths
will be so widely separated that it is not likely
we shall ever meet again, or if we do, that we
can be otherwise than as strangers to each
other. You have my sincerest wishes for your
happiness, which I doubt not can be much
more efsctually secured than it would have
been by a union with me- God bless you
Clare, try to forget my faults, and in thinking
of me occasionally, let your thoughts be kind
as of one who is dead and buried away out o.
your sight"


"He never really cared for me" said Clare
as she wiped away the tears the letter had
called forth. "Poor Brooke, if it were moi
for the dreadful misfortune that has led to the
breaking Of our engagement, dare say he
would be glad of the escape"


Then her thoughts went travelling of in an
other direction, and she began to wonder i!
there might really be such thing as happi
ness in store for her. Of course, she knew il
was selfish to be thinking of her own happiness
just yet; but she could not quite help hoping
that, now that she was free, Paul might come
back some time to seek to win the love be had
vainly sought before-or rather which, wher
he had found it, dared not disclose itself tc
him.


That was the worst oft. He did not know
that she cared for him he had believed hel