CHAPTER VIII.

"But spanning all that troubled sky,
The Bow of Promise shines on high."

ANNE C. LYNCH,

Y happiness had not deserted me when

M

I awoke in the morning, and I went

about the performance of my duties with a light step and cheerful mien, very unlike those which caused Frank to say to his sister once, when accompanying me on a walk,

"Miss Wilmerton must be ill, for she steps so slow and does not talk with us as she used to."

Whereupon Lillian had put her hand in mine and walked quietly at my side, raising occasionally her soft dark eyes to mine.

Alas! I had neither strength nor will to assume a cheerfulness I did not feel.

But now Hope was borne again out of the event of the preceding day, and courage entered anew into my heart. Content I was, oh, very patient and trustful. "Some mystery," I said to myself, "keeps Lawrence absent and silent. I will await his explanation; I will bide his time. In his eyes I have read constancy; in his kiss discovered tenderest feeling; in his embrace felt passionate and sustaining love. Never more will I doubt him. Never again shall jealous pangs goad me to despair."

The day passed like a pleasant dream.

At dinner Walworth had looked twice or thrice across the table at me with a peculiar smile, and when the dessert was placed on the table, and the servants were no longer in attendance, he commenced mischievously:

"So daring an act as was Esterlyn's yesterday, deserves not to be passed over in silence." He took, as he spoke, a small paper from his pocket, which proved to be the little village chronicle, and handing it to Mildred, said,

"Pray read aloud, Mildred, the account of 'the gentleman's generous and courageous act, which saved the life of a beautiful and accomplished lady.' I quote verbatim, Miss Wilmer

ton."

I must have looked excessively annoyed.

"Now, Walworth," said Mildred, "you know better than to expect me to read this aloud. I shall turn the laugh against yourself, if you do not take care. What if I were to repeat your ejaculation, and tell how you took three or four successive leaps down the precipice, quite as daring as were Mr. Esterlyn's, until you saw that Bessie was rescued and safe."

"Oh I assure you," he returned, smiling, "no mountain chamois could have kept pace with Esterlyn. I discovered after an ineffectual effort or two on my part, that I should be distanced altogether, and gave up the attempt."

"But how did you manage to return?" I asked with some curiosity. "If you made but one leap down the steep sides of the precipice, I should imagine there would be great difficulty in getting back again."

"There was none, however," he answered. "A scrambling sort of climbing placed me again on the top of the hill, and with a dash downward on the other side, I gained the road, made for the railway in a twinkling, and arrived-' at the scene of excitement in time to receive your fainting form from Mr. Esterlyn, and have you conveyed home in Mr. Poinsett's chaise, the two gentlemen who so opportunely arrived at the crisis returning to the village for another vehicle.' Miss Wilmerton, you are aware that I quote again from the account."

There was a merry sparkle in his dark eyes, and I felt relieved when Mildred, who had been glancing over the columns of the paper she held in her hand, interrupted him as he was about to continue.

"Oh papa!" she exclaimed, "the Kelloggs' country-seat is for sale, and they gave up their town-house some months ago. They must be very much reduced. Did not Mr. Kellogg lose, as director, a great deal of money at the failure of the Talbot Bank?"

"Yes," returned Mr. Forrester, briefly.

+

"Indeed," exclaimed Walworth in an altered tone. "I was not aware of this."

"Julia Kellogg told me last spring," Mildred went on, "that her father feared he would not be able to keep Oaklands, and now they must go. Poor Julia! it will be a great trial to leave the old place."

"Walworth," said Mr. Forrester, "Mr. Kellogg will doubtless sell his fine collection of pictures. I have laid aside a sum for their purchase. You had better mark those you wish sent to the town-house, and pay for them on the spot."

So saying, Mr. Forrester took a roll of bank-notes from his pocket-book and laid them beside his son's plate.

A slight expression of abhorrent disgust crossed Walworth's face, very disagreeable to behold. It passed in a moment, and he said quietly,

"Mildred will take charge of this, sir. I heard Mr. Poinsett say he was to accompany my mother and her to town to-morrow. They can stop at Oaklands on their way thither, and Mildred's choice will be assisted by Mr.