A SINGER FROM THE SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 259, 1 November 1893, Page 6

A SINGER FROM THE SEA.

ST AMELIA E. ■ BARR.

Aubhor of 'The Beads of Taamar,' 'The Mabe of the "Easter Bell,"' 'The Household of McNeil,'' Friend Olivia,' Etc., Etc., Etc.

CHAPTER VI.

DENAS AND ELIZABETH.

There is no hate in a woman which is not born Of love. Ever note, Luciliu3, When love begins to slacken and decay, It uses an enforced ceremony ; There are no tricks in plain and simple faith. Julius Caesar. tffiE rain was over on Wednesday morning bub the day was grey and chill, and the crisping turf and bhe hardening road indicabed a oomiiig irosb. There was nobhing, however, bo prevenb bhe contemplated visit to Burrell Court, and a painful momentary shadow flitted over John's face when Denas came to breakfaub in her now ruby-coloured merino dress. She was ao prebty, so full of the importance of her trip, so affectionate, thab he could nob say a word bo daah her spirits or warn her carelessness ; and y6t he had quick spasms of terror about bhe danger she was going so gaily into. Of whab use, alas, are our premonitions, if they do nob bring wibh bhem tho inexorable moral courage necessary bo enforce their warnings ? Denas had been accustomed to go to Elizabeth's vory early in the morning, and ib did not come into her mind to make any change in this respect because of Elizabeth's marriage. So, after she hud taken her breaklaab, she pub on her hat and ulster and i her warm woollen gloves, and took tho cliff road. John, with his pipe in his mouth, leaned agait.3t the door-lintel and watched her. Joan stood by his side for a momenb, following wibh her eyes the graceful figure of her child, bub she quickly wont back to her work. John's work was over for tho day. He had come in on the dawn-bide wibh a good 'bake.' So he stood ab the door, in spite of the frosty air, and watched his libtle maid climbing tho hilly load with the elastic step and untiring breath of happy youth. Io was bhen only eighb o'clock. No one had thought bhe hour too early. Bub when she reached Burrell Courb, Elizabeth had nob come downstairs, and breakfast was still to serve. She was much annoyed and embarrassed by bheabtibudeof bhe servants. She had no visiting card, and bhe footman declined bo disturb Mrs Burrell at her toileb. 'Miss could wait,' he said, wibh an air of familiarity which srreably offended Denaa. For she considered herself, as the child of a fisherman owning his own cottage and boat and lord of all the leagues of ocean where he chose to easb his nebs, immeasurably the superior of any servant, no matter how fin® bis livery might bo. She aab down in the small receptionroom into which she had been shown, and waited. She heard Elizabeth and her husband go through the hall together, and the pleasant odours of coffee and broiled meats certified to bhe serving of breakfast. But no one came near her. As tho minutes slipped away, her wonder became anger; and she was resolving to leave the inhospitable house when she heard Roland's step. He came slowly down the polished oak stairs, wenb to the front door, opened it , and looked oub into the frosty day ; then 'turning rapidly in from the cold, he went, whistling softly, through tho hall, to the breakfasb- room. Jusb as ho entered bhe footman wa9 saying : 'A young person, ma'am. Sho had no card, and when I asked her name, she only looked at me, ma'am.' 1 'Where did you put her?' asked Elizabeth. ' In the small recepf ion-room/ ' Is the room warm ?' ' Nob very cold, ma'am.' At this point Robert Burrell looked ab his wife, and said : •lb is perhaps bhab little friend of yours called Denas.' " * Jove !' ejaculated Poland. I should not wonder. You know, Elizabeth, sho was always an early visitor. Shall Igo bo see ?' 4 Frederick will go. Frederick ask the ; young person her name.' " In a few momenta Frederick returned, and said * • Miss Penelles ia tho name,' ' * Then Robert Burrell and Roland both looked at Elizabeth. Sho had a momenbary Struggle with herselt; she hesitated ; her browa made themselves into a point ; her ' colour heightened, awd tho dead silence gave her a most eloquent condibion for listening to her own heart. She rose wibh leisurely composure and left the room. Mr Burrell .and Roland took no notice of the , movement. Mi* Burrell had his watch in hia hand. Roland was directing Frederick as to the particular piece of fowl he wanted. Then there was a little laugh and tho sound of voices ; and.lßliza.beth and Denas entered together. Eii-üboth had made Denas remove her hat and cloak, and the girl was exceedingly pretty. Roland leaped to his feet, and imperatively motioned Frederick j to place a chair beside his own ; and Roberb Burrell met her with a frank kindness which waa pleasantly reassuring. \ Denaa b_d been feeling wronged and '/humiliated ; bub Elizabeth by a few kind .*<■ words of apology had caused a reaction '' which affected her inexperienced guesb wibh / a kind of mental intoxication Her coun- . tenauce glowed ; hor eyes sparkled ; her / hair appeared bo throw off light; her rubycoloured dre.-*s, with its edges of white lace, accentuated the marvellous colouring of her cheeks and lips, the snow-white of hor wide .'•■ brows and slender throat and tho intense blue of her eyes, that had caught the brightesb tone of sea and sky. She talked well ; she was witty without being ill-natured ; and she described all i that had happened in the little town since Elizabeth's wedding-day, with a subdued 'and charming mimicry, bltatmado the room ring with laughter. Also, she ate her breakfast with such evident enjoyment, that she gave an appetite to tho others. All took an extra cup of coffee with her. and it seemed only v pa»-b of tha general conversation and delightful intercourse. After breakfast, Roberb Burrell said ho would delay bis vmt to London for a train, if Denas would sing for him once moro; and they went together to tho parlour, and Roland fell iifcowoe into tho rocking measure of Robert's favourite, and in blie middle of a bar Denis joined her voice to ib, and they wenb together as the wind goes through the trees, or the song of the water through its limpid flow. As »he finished, Roland looked at her with a certain intelligence in his eyes, and then struck a few wild startling chords. They proved bo bo the ba«is of a sea chant. • Denas heard them wibh a quick movement -.of her head and an involuntary, though t slight movemenb of bho hands, as she cried out in a musical cadonco : *Here begins the sea! That ends not till the world ends; Blow, westcrlr wind for me, When the wind and the tide are friends, ' Westerly wind, and little white star, Safe are th** fishermen oror the bar.' She would sing «o more when the chanfc was finished. She had seen a look on Elizabeth's face—nob intended for her to see— which took the music out of her hoarb. Yet she had sung enough : for she had never before sung £0 woli. She was astonished ab hor own powor; and Robert Burrell thanked her with ?. sincerity oeyond question.

' My brain will be among £Tgure3 all the way to London, Miss Penelles,' he said ; 'but I am quite sure my soul will bo wandering on the slung o, and feeling bho blowing winds and hearing the plash of the waves and singing with all its power : '" Here beginneth the soa! That ends not till the world ends." * Then he wenb away and Elizabeth took her embroidery and sab down wibh Denas. A greab gulf suddenly opened between them. There was no subject to talk about. Elizabeth had sent Roland away on the double pretence of wanting him to take a message to Caroline and of wanting to have Denas all to herself. And she watched Roland ao cleverly that he had no opportunity to say a word to Denas, and yeb ho had ; for in bidding her good-bye he managed, by the quick lifting of his brows and the wide-open look in his eyes, to give her assurance that he would be at their usual place of meeting. Elizabeth was a clever woman bub no match for a man who has love in his hearb and his eyes bo speak for him. So she had Denas all to herself, and bhen, in spite of everything she could do, her manner became indifferent and icy. She asked afber John ancl Joan and more pointedly after Tris. And Denas thought there could be no harm in talking of Tris and his affection for her. She chatted away until Bhe felt she was not being listened to. Then she tried to talk of bhe pasb. Elizabeth said it wa3 so associated with poor papa she would rabher nob talk of it. It was very painful to her, and she had promised Mr Burrell not to indulge in painful thoughts. So Denas felb that the pasb was a shub and clasped book between them forever* Nothing remained bub bo ask Elizabeth about her wedding trip. She answered her but nob as she would have answered an acquaintance of her own circle. In her heart she felb it to be a presumption in Denas. Why should bhis girl question her about her opinions and doings ? Her conscience had to continually urge her to justice, and she felt tho strife of feeling to be very uncomfortable. Denas had hoped to bo shown all the pretty dresses and cloaks and nicknackt. of tine wearing apparel thab Elizabeth had , bought in London and Paris and various , European capitals. These things had boen , much talked of in tho town, and it would ! have boon a little distinction to Donas to • have seen nnd handled them. Perhaps, also, thero had been in her deepest '.<■**■ Bciousnoßs a hope that Elizabeth I • brought her some special gilt, somo trir> that she could bo proud of all hor Int., : and keep in memory of their early friendi ship. Bub Elizabeth showed her nothing and I gavo her nothing. Moreover, when Denas [ spoke of the beautiful morning-robe she wore, Elizabeth frowned slightly and i answered with an evident disinclination to discuss tho subjecb: 'Yes, ib is beautiful.' i For bhough Elizabeth did nob analyze tho i feeling she was annoyed ab even a verbal j return to a time whon gowns of every kind I had been a consideration worth while disi cussing with one whose tasto and skill would . help to fashion them. Poverty casts only • shadows on memory, and few people like to stand voluntarily again in them. Aboub noon bhere was a visitor and Eliza- [ bebh received her in another room. She . made an apology to Denas, but tho girl i lefb to herself began to be angry wibh heri self. Sho could hoar Elizabeth and her ; caller merrily discussing the items of thoir i own set, and Elizabeth had quite a dif- ; ferent voice. Ib was sympathetic, ready . to break into laughter, full of confidential tones. Denas remembered this voice woll. ; She had once been used to hear it and to . blend her own with ib. Her hearb burned i when she called to mind her old friend's excessivo civility, her hardly concealed ) weariness, the real coldness of feeling which no pleasanb words could warm. . There was no longer any sympathy bebween them ; there was nob oven any > inberesb which could take the place of sym- . pathy. Elizabeth did nob really care whether Denas was offended or not; but , she had a conscience and it urged her to be kind and jusb; and she did try to obey the order, bub when orders perversely go against inclination they do nob obtain a cheerful service, j Donas was a quick feeler and a quick thinker. 'I am not wanted here ! I ought j to go away ; and I will go !' These resolutions were arrived ab by apprehension not t by any definable process of reasoning. 3 She touched a boll, asked for her hab und • cloak, left a message for Elizabeth and 3 went away from Burrell Courb at once. The rapid walk to St. Penfer relieved her feelings. 'I have been wounded today,' she sobbed, ' jusb as really as if Elizabeth had ( flung a stone at me or stabbed me with a f knife. I am heart-hurt. I am sorry I , wenb to see her. Why did I go? She is '. afraid of Roland. Good ! I shall pay , her back through Roland. If she will nob . be a friend to me she may have to call me , "sister!"' Then sho remembered whab . Roland had said about her voice, and her , face was illumined by tho thought, and she , lifted her head and' stepped loftily to it. ; 'She may bo proud enough of me yeb. I wonder what I have done !' I To such futile questions and reflections [ »he walked back to St. Penfer. She had . not yeb found eu(j,that the .urn of her offend- , ing lay in her ability to add tho four letters i which spoil tho word 'fair' to her name. : If she had been strikingly ugly and dull, • instead of strikingly pretty and bright, , Elizabeth would havo found it eaeier to be kind and generous to her. Denas went to Priscilla Mohun's*. Rcti- ; cence is a cultivated quality, and Denas had ' none of ib ; so she told' the whole story of | her illbreabmenb to Priscilla, and found her full sympathy. Priscilla had her own little . slights to rolato, and if all was true she fold Donas-, then Elizabeth had managed, in a week's time, to offend many of her old ac- '. quaintancos irreconcilably. , Denas remained with Priscilla until three o'clock, t'*en she walked down the cliff to i the little glndo, where she hoped to find j Roland. He was nob there. Sho calcu- ; I lated tho distance he had to ride, she made [{allowance for his taking lunch with Caro- \ j line Burrell, and she concluded thab he I ought to have been at the tryating-placo , before she was. She waited until four . o'clock, growing moro angry every moment ; then sho hastened away. ' lam right server! !' she muttered. 'I will lot Roland Tresham and Elizabeth i Burrell alone for bho future.' : The tide of anger rose swiftly in her , hearb, and ehe stepped homeward to its flow. She had gone but a litblo way whensho [ hoard Roland calling her. Sho would nob , answer him. She hoard his rapid footsteps f bohind, bub sho would not turn her head. . When he reached her ho was already vexed j at her perverse mood, , I 'I could nob geb hero sooner, Denas,' he ! said crossly. Do be reasonable.' . | ' sfou need nob bo have come at all.' i ' Denas, stop ! Listen to me ! If you go so quickly, wo shall be seen from the village.' «1 wish father to sco us. I will call him , to come to me.' ' Denas, whab have I done ?' 'You! You aro a parb of tho whole. Your sister has taught mo to-day the difference between up. lam glad there is a difference. I intend to forgeb you bobh, from this day.' • You will punish me because Elizabeth was unkind ?' i ' Somo day you also will change, jusb as she has done. ' I will nob waib for thab day. . No, indeed ! To be sure, I shall suffer. : Father, mother, everybody suffers, in one • way or anobher. I can bear aa much aa i others can.' ' You are an absurd little thing ! Come, darling! Como back with me. I wanb to tell yoii s vf.-y particular wreb.'

' Do you think you can peb or coax or tell mo tales like across child? I am a a woman and I have been hurt in every place a woman can be hurt by your sister. I will nob go back wibh you.' ' Very well, Denas. You will repent this temper, I can bell you, my dear.' ' No, I shall nob repenb it. I will go to my fabher and mother. I will toll them how bad I have been and ask them to forgive me. I shall never repent that ; I know !' Sho drew hor arm from his clasp, and without lifting ber eyes to him, wenb forward with a swifb, purposeful step. He watched tier a few moments and then with a dark countenance turned homeward. 'This is Elizabeth's doing,' he muttered. ' Elizabeth is too, too detestably respectable for anything. I saw and felb her sugared patronage of Denas through all her sofb phrases. She breabs me in the same way sometimes. When women get a husband they are conceited enough ; but when they geb a husband and money also they are—the devil only knows whab they are!' He entered Elizabeth's presence very sulkily. Roberb was in London and there was no reason why be should keep his temper in the background. ' There is Caroline's answer,' he said, throwing a letter on the table, ' and I do wish, Elizabeth you would send me on pleasanter errands in tho future. Caroline kept me waiting until she returned from a lunch at Colonel Prynnos. And then she hurried me away because there was to be a grand dinner-party ab the Pullens.' 'Ab bhe Pollens? Ib is very strange Roberb and I were nob invited !' ' I should say, very strange indeed, seeing that Caroline is their guest. But Lord and Lady Avonmere were bo be presenb and somo other notes of exclamation. Of course, they did not wanb any of us f ' Any of us ? Pray, why nob ?' •Father's bankrupbey is nob forgotten. We were nobodies unbil you married Robert Burrell and even Robert's money is all trade money. 4 You aro purposely brying to say disagreeable things, Roland. What fresh snub has Caroline been giving you ?' * Snubs aro common to all. Big people are snubbed by lesser people : and theso by still smaller ones, and so ad infinitum. You are a bit bigger than Denas, so you snub her ; and Denas, of course, passes on the snub. Why should she nob? Where is Denas ?' 1 ' Sho has gone home, and I do hope she •vill nover como here again. She behaved , very impertinently.' 'That I will nob believe ! Put bhe shoe on your own foob, Elizabeth. You were rude before I lefb, and I dare swear you were rude, ruder, rudesb, after you were alone wibh bho girl. For puro spibo and illnature, a newly married woman—beats the devil !' ' Whom are you talking to, Roland ?' *To you. I have to talk plainly to you occasionally. Birds in their little nests agree ; bub brothers and'sisbers do nob—in facb, they can not. For instance, I should he a brute if I agreed with you about Denas.' ' I say that Denas behaved very rudely. She wenb away withoub my knowledge, and withoub bidding mo "good-bye." I shall decline to have any more to do wibh her.' ' I havo no doubb she has already declined you, in every possible form. As far as lean judge, she is a spiriby little creature, Bub, Gracious, how she did sing bhis morning ? I'll beb you fifby pounds, if Roberb Burrell had heard her sing a year ago, you would nob Im*.ve been mistress of Burrell Courb to-day.' ' Either you or I must leavo the room, Roland ! I will nob listen any longer bo you.' ' Sib still. I am very glad to go. I shall take a room ab the Black Lion tomorrow. The atmosphere of the courb is so exquisitely rarefied and refined that I am choking in ib. I only hope you may not smother Roberb in ib. Good-night. I nobice Roberb goes to London pretty often lately. Good-nighb. Then he closed the door sharply and went smiling to his room. 'I think I have made madam quite as uncomfortable as she has made me,' he muttered; 'and I will go to the Black Lion to-morrow. From thoro I cun reach Denas withoub being watchod ab both ends —John Penelles to bhe right and Elizabeth Burrell to the lefb of me are too much and too many. For Denas I must see. I musb sco her if I have to dress myself in blue flannols and oil-skins to manage it.' In the morning Elizabebh eat her breakfast alone. She had determined bo have a good quarrel with Roland and mako him ashamed of his speech and behaviour on the previous evening. But beforo she roße Roland had gone to the Black Lion, and, moreover, ho had loft orders for his packed traps and trunks bo be sent afber him. He had a distincb object in this move. Ab bhe court he was constantly under surveillance, and ho waa also very much ab Elizabeth's commands. He had litble timo to give bo the pursuit of Donas, and that little ab hours unsuitable for the purpose Bub ab the Black Lion his time was all his own. He could breakfast and dine at whatever hour suited his occupation ; be could watch tho movements of Denas withoub being constantly suspected and broughb to catechism. Her tempor tho previous evening while it seriously annoyed did nob dishearten him. He really liked her better for its display. He never supposed that it would last. Ho expected her to make a visib bo Sb. Penfer tho nexb day; she would hope that he would be on the watch for her ; she would be sure of it. But Donas did nob visib St. Penfer thab week, and Roland grow desperabe. On Saturday nighb he wenb down the cliff after dark and hung around John's cottago, hoping thab, for some reason or other, Denas would come to the door. He had a note in his hand, ready to put into her hand, if sho did so. Ho could see hor plainly, for tho only screen to the windows wero some flowering plants inside and a wooden ebutter on the outside, never closed but in extreme bad weather. Joan was making tho evening meal, John sac upon bho hearth and Der.uS, with ber knitting in her hands, waa by his side. Once or twice he saw her rise and help her mother with some homely duty, and finally she laid down her work and, kneeling on the rug at hor father's feet, she began to toast the bread for their tea. Her unstudied grace, the charm of her beauty and kindness, tho very simplicity of hor dress, fascinated him afresh. * Thab is bhe costume—tho very costume —sho ought to sing in !' he thoughb. ' Wibh some fishing'nets abhor feet and tho mesh in her hands, how that dark petticoat and that little scarlet josey would tell! The scarlet josey cub away jusb so ab bhe nock ! What a ravishing throat she baß ! How white and round !' At this poinb in his reverie ho hoard footsteps, and he walked leisurely aside. His big ulster, in bhe darkness, was a sufficienb disguise ; ho had no fear of being known by any passer-by. But theso footsteps stopped ab John's door and then wenb insido the cottage. That circumstance roused in Roland's heart a tremor ho had never known before. He cautiously returned to his poinb of observation. The visitor wasa youngand handsome fisherman. It was Tris Penrose. Roland saw with envy his welcome and his familiarity. Ho caw bhab Joan had placed him a chair on the hearth opposite John. Denas, therefore, was at his feet also. Tris could feed his eyes upon her near loveliness. Ho could speak to hor. He did speak bo her, and Donas looked up with a smile to answer him. When tho toast was mado, Trfa helped Denas to her feet; be put her chair to the table, he pub his own beside it. Ho waited upon her wibh such delight and tender admiration that Roland was made furiously angry and miserable by bis rival's

happinesß. The poor ape jealousy began meddling in all his better feelings.^ He hung around the cottage until he was freezing with cold and burning with rage. ' And this is Elizabeth's doings !' he kepb muttering, as he climbed the. cliff to the upper town. He could not sleep all night. He thoughb of everything bhab could add bo his despairing uncerbainby. The nexb day was the Sabbatb, and Denas would go to chapel with her fabher and her mother. Tris would be sure to meeb her there, to return with her, to sib again at her side on tbab homelike hearthstone. •I wish I was a fisher!' he cried passionately. ** They know what ib is to live, for their boats make their cobbages like heaven !' He could not deny to himself bhab Tris was a very handsome fellow, and bhab Denas smiled pleasantly ab him. 'Bub she never smiled once as she smiles ab me ! he never once drew her soul inbo her face as I can draw it. She does nob love him as she loves me V Wibh such asserbions he consoled his heart, tho while he was trying to form somo plan which would give him an opportunity to geb Denas once moro under his influence. On Monday morning he wenb to see Priscilla Mohun. He had a long conversa-, tion with the dressmaker, and bhab afternoon Priscilla walked down to John's cottage and made a proposal to Denas. lb was so blunb and business-like, so bighb in regard bo money matters', thab John and Joan and Denas, also, wero completely deceived. She paid sho had heard thab Denas and Tris Penrose woro to bo married, and ehe thoughb Denas mighb liko bo make some sbeady money to holp the furnishing. She would give her two shillings a day and her board and lodging. Also, she could have Saburday and Sunday ab her home if she wished. Denas, who was fretted by the monotony of home-dubies, really boo few to employ bobh her mother and herself, was glad of tho oiler. John, who had a libtle vein of parsimony in his fino nature, thoughb of tho ten shillings a week and of how soon ib would grow to be ten pounds. Joan remembered how much there was to see and hear at Miss Priscilla's ; and Denas was so dull at homo. Why should she uob have a good change when ib was well paid for ? And bhen she remombored the happy weekends thero would be ; with so much to tell and to talk over. She asked Priscilla to stay and have a cup of tea with them and so settle bhe subjecb. And the resulb was thab Denas wenb back to Sb. Penfer with Priscilla and began her duties on the nexb day. Thab evening she had a lebtor from Roland. Ib was a letber well adapted bo bonch her hearb. Roland was really miserable and he knew well how to cry oub for comforb. He told her he had loft his sisters home because Elizabebh had insulted her there. He led her to believe bhab Elizabeth was in greab distress at his anger bub thab nothing she could say or do would make him forgive her unbil Denaa herself was sabistied. And Donas was glad bhab Elizabeth should suffer. Sho hoped Roland would make ber suffer a greab deal. For Denas had nob yeb reached thab divino condition in which ii is possible to love one's enemies. She was happy bo think thab Roland was at the Black.'Lion wibh all hia possessions ; for ehe know how bhe gossip on bhis occurrence would annoy all tho proprieties in Mrs Burrell'B social code. Her anger served Roland's purpose quite as much as her lore. After the third letter she wrote a reply. Then she agreed to meeb him ; then—then—then she waa quite under his influence again, much moro so, indeed, bhan ehe had ever before been. In a week or two he gob inbo bhe habib of dropping into Priscilla's shop for a pair of glove*, for writing-paper, for the ' Daily News,' for a bottle of cologne—in short, there wero plenty of occasions for a visit, and he took them. And as Priscilla's was near the Black Lion and the only ' newsdepot' in town, and as other genblemen wenb frequently there also for the supply of bheir small wants, no one made any wonder of Roland's purchases. His connection with Priscilla was obviously of tho mosb formal character; she treated him wibh tho same short courtesy she gave bo all and sundry ; and Denas was so rarely seen behind the counber thab she was nob in any way associabed with bho customers. This, indeed, had been bhe sbipulation on which John had specially insisted. One morning, Roland came hurriedly into bhe shop. •My sister is coming here, I am sure, Miss Mohun,' he said. 'Tell Donas, if you please ; sho said she wished to moob hor again. Tell hor I will romain hero and sband by her.' There was no bime to deliberate, and Denas, acting upon the feeling of tho momenb, came quickly to Roland, and was talking to him when Mrs Burrell entered. They remained in conversation a momonbor bwo, as if loth to parb; then Donas advanced bo the customer wibh nn air of courtesy, bub also of perfect ignorance aa to her personality. * Well, Denas ?' said the lady. ' What do you wish, madam V ' I wish to see Miss Priscilla.' Donas touched a bell, nnd returned to Roland, who had appeared bo bo unconscious of his sisber's presenco. Elizabeth glanced at her brother, then without waiting for Priscilla, she lefb the ."hop. Tho lovely face of Denas was liko a flame. 'Thank you, Roland !'* she said with effusion. 'You havo paid my account in full for mo.' ' Then, darling, let me come hero to-night, and say something very important to us both. Priscilla will givo mo houso room for an hour. I know she will. Here sho comes. Leb me ask her.' Priscilla affected reluctance, bsb really she was prepared for tho request. Sho had expecbed ib before, and had been uneasy at ibs delay, She was beginning to fear Iloland'd visits might he noticed ; mighb ho balked aboub; mighb injure her custom. Ib pleased her much bo anbicipabe an end- to a risky sibuation. Sho managed, without urging Denae, to make the girl fee! bhat bar relabions with Roland ought either to be better understood or else entirely brokon off. So Roland went back to his ma .i'ith a promise thab made him lighb-heartcd. ' Elizabebh ha* dona mo ono good turn,' he soliloquised. 'Now let ma see. 1 will consider my' plea, and gob all in ordor : Firsb, I musb persuade Denas bo go to London ; second, the quostion is marriage —or no marriage : third, her voice and its cultivation ; fourth, tho hundred pounds in Sb. Merryn'e Bank; fifth, everything os soon as can be, to-morrow nighb if possible : sixth, my own money from Tremaino. I should have aboub four hundred pounds. Heigh-ho ! I wish it was eighb o'clock. And whab an old cab Priscilla is. Ido nob bhink I shall givo her bhe fifty pounds I promised her. Sho doe* nob doserve it— and she never dare ask me for ib.'

(To be Conlinuzd.)