Year: 1873

uneasy, and to cause her much unpleasant
meditation.


Her thoughts, too, reverted to the gloomy
circumstances attendant upon Lucy wedding;
her superstitious fancies and unhappy looks
on the occasion, and once more she asked
herself, had she done wisely in promoting a
match which had promised so little real hap
piness, and which was so entirely against the
daughters inclination


1t was too late, however, to revolve this
question a,ov, and she could only hope that
the fears that haunted her might be vain
ones, and that she was giving herself useless
anxiety.


Lucy had left home with the understanding
that she was to remain until Stanley signi6ed
his wish for her to return, and somewhat to
her surprise, and greatly to her satisfaction,
she found that the time was being prolonged
to much greater length than she had antici-
pated.


He wrote to her frequently, and in most
afectionate strain, saying that he missed her
terribly, and that the house was most gloomy
without her, but that he was consoled by the
idea that she was enjoying herself, and the
hope that she would be benefited by the
change.


81 have been blaming myself" he said in
one of his letters, "for the solitary life have
hitherto induced you to lead, and my selfish
ness in keeping you so constantly with me.
I think, my dearest love, that when you re-
turn chow joyfully anticipate that happy
eventD I must endeavor to conquer this
selfshness, and encourage you to mix more
with our little world up here, which, small as
it is, will afford some variety to the monotony
ofyour life at Mossgrove. My delight in
your society has made me too eager to appro-
pirate it entirely to myself I now see my
error, but feel assured that my sweet Lucy
will attribute it to the right cause, i.e., the
pure and ardent affection I feel for her."


He also informed her that he was having
some alterations made to the house. A room
in the west wing, which was never used and
was much out of repair, he was having closed
up, in order to facilitate the construction of
private staircase which was needed at that
end of the corridor, and which could not 9th
erwise be so well arranged. This portion Of
the house, he said, had always been the most
gloomy and unattractive, and being so far re-
moved from communication with the occupied
portion of the building, it seemed best to him
to dispense with the use of it altogether.


Lucy gave little thought to this piece Of in
telligence, which affected her very little, save
that it afforded her some relief to think that
she would never have reason to 60 again to
what had always been called "the Haunted
Room" and which had always been invested
in her mind with peculiar atmosphere of
dread. 1t was true, now that she was away,
that she ridiculed herself for her silly weak
ness on this and other subjects, but that was
easily accounted for by her restoration to
cheerful, wholesome surroundings. .


She was cheered, however, by the tone of
her husbands letters, which encouraged her
to hope that on her return she would be al.
lowed to lead more unrestrained and natur-
al life than she had been hitherto forced to
endure.


She saw but little of her cousin Edward
during her sojourn in the city, for he could
not yet trust himself to be much in her society
without betraying his real feelings. 1t was
hard task to him to be obliged to adopt the
old brotherly tone, when such deep and pow
erful emotions were stirring at his heart, and
he was longing to give expression to the love
that he felt never could be conquered, though
it must be crushed down and hidden out of
sight.


He felt panied by the change in her ap-
pearance, which struck him more forcibly
even than it had done his aunt, and it needed
only one or two interviews with her to con-
vince him that she was not truly happy in
her present life, or rather in the life from
which, for brief period, she had escaped.


A feeling of bitter hatred toward Stanley
took possession of his soul, and he felt that
should he ever discover that his conduct to
Lucy was otherwise than it ought to be, no
punishment would be too great, no vengeance
too summary for him to infict upon him.


He was, however, powerless to interfere, or
even to discover the true state of affairs in
relation to his cousins married life; and his
aunt dared not betray to him her own uneas-
mess, for fear of exciting his impetuous dis
position, and adding to the unhappiness he
already endured.


Although on apparently friendly terms with
her, he had never forgiven her the part she
had played and only sense Of duty led him,
for his departed uncles sake, to treat her with
consideration, and provide, as far as he could,
for her comfort in her comparatively reduced
state.


On the other hand, Mrs. Carroll was most
solicitous to regain his esteem, and especially
since her fears had become aroused in regard
to Lucy's happiness, was she desirous of win:
ming his affection and confidence, since she
Justly felt that none could prove more true
or efficient friend than himself in time of
trouble. Her heart, too, smote her for having
been the cause of blighting his fondest hopes
and the vain reflection sometimes crossed her
troubled mind, that, had she but consented to
his union with her child, in spite Of the COM
parative poverty they might have had to con-
tend with, all would now be we'll.


"Too late"-Oh! saddest words. How
often in this life do they fall. with mournful |