having done so she felt more at ease, so much
so, indeed, that she was enabled afterwards to
tell Hester that she believed she might not
begin the sewing for the wedding until the
Christmas time should be over. She was
planning some charades, some tableaux, some
little gaieties, as an excuse to bring friends
about, to make the evenings less dull than they
had been. And Lady Helen had used a moderate
word, when she called her evenings dull.
She had a periodical attack of nightmare,
coming on whenever dusk began to fall. She
got on pretty well with her mornings, when she
could state her opinions privately to every one
who came near her, that dear Archie was  over-
anxious, could ransack her wardrobes, and plan
masquerading costumes; but in the evenings
she sat shrunk up in a corner of her sofa, starting
convulsively when poor Pat opened the
door never so softly, and thinking that every
shriek of the rising wind was the howling of
rebels getting punished. And thus it had come
to pass through her terror that Hester received
her orders of an evening, sitting face to face
with her ladyship, on one of her ladyships
embroidered drawing-room chairs. For Lady
Helen's nervousness had a passion for gathering
as many faces as possible round her couch.
And if the faces could be found young and
hopeful, as well as beautiful to look upon, they
were by so much the more grateful to her lady-
ship's fearful eyes.

Miss Madge had begun another purse for
Archie, and she knotted and knotted, and grew
more silent and mysterious. Purses do wear
out in the course of years, especially those of
rich people, I suppose, who keep them pretty
well filled. At all events, it is good to be
provided against emergencies. The last had been
red, but this was a green one, the sight of
which colour amongst her fingers seemed to
afford the Honourable Madge a most exquisite
satisfaction. Not so Lady Helen. " Put that
green thing away, Madge," she would whimper.
"It is enough to compromise the whole family.
As for you, I don't believe you would have the
slightest objection to be hanged any minute.
.But I think you might consider other people!"

Miss Golden sang, and made other music
with her fingers, upon spinnet and guitar, with
a kindly enough pity for the lady's nervous
state. And every evening her voice grew louder
and more defiant to all fears and dangers. Yet
had certainly the roses left her cheeks.

Miss Janet had reported very truly of Sir
Archie, when she stated that he made efforts to
divert his lady mother. And he was wonderfully
patient, for a man, with her long dissertations
to Hester on the subject of the fashions,
both of these and former days. And he even
went so far, on one occasion, as to recommend
for her perusal—he seated at her right hand,
and Hester at her left—a certain book of ancient
costumes which he had picked up somewhere
as a curiosity of literature. And Lady Helen
remembered this the next morning, when in
high consultation with Miss Madge, Miss
Golden, and Hester, on the subject of stage
properties, in Hester's tower room. And she
bade Hester run to the library and fetch the
said book of costumes.

Hester hesitated. " Sir Archie Munro may
be in the library, your ladyship," she said.

"If he is, he will not eat you, child!" said
Lady Helen. " Tell him I want the book he
spoke of last evening."

So Hester went, lingered on the stairs, in the
hall; but meeting a servant, and not wishing to
be seen hanging about, as if she had been afraid
of something, was obliged to walk boldly into
the room.

Sir Archie was there, as Hester had feared he
might be, and he seemed more than glad to see
her, as Hester had feared he might seem. He
found her the book, and held it out for her to
take. And as he so held it out he looked at her
face, with a grave, earnest, and a long look;
never thinking to be rude indeed— not his worst
enemy could say that from such a look— but
rather as if he were trying to read his future, of
good or evil, of weal or woe—this being no
time for speech—under eyelids that would not
raise themselves, of a young shrinking face.
But the book went from his hand, and Hester
made quick steps towards the door.

"I beg you to wait a moment," said Sir
Archie.

He did not want her to go just yet, but he
was at a loss to know what to say that could
keep her. He knew that he wanted to love
her and to tell her that he loved her, but the
time not being ripe he found it difficult to fill
up the interval when such moments as the
present arrived. There was that about her
presence which hushed, while it attracted and
made him glad, which left him little of his love
in his bearing, save its dignity. But Hester
had stopped and was waiting quietly. She was
so resolved not to be foolish again, to take
everything that might come as quite meant in
good faith, to accept it as a matter of course.

Sir Archie had some medieval tastes, and he
knew a holy face when he saw it in a picture,
or out of a picture; and it impressed him.
And as Hester stood a little off, with her yellow
head shining against the brown wainscot, he
remembered a painting in a dusky cloister of a
very old monastery he had visited long ago. It
was an angel with a golden censer, personifying
prayer.

The memory brought with it a suggestion;
and Sir Archie's next speech may not seem apt
for the occasion.

"I am in danger and difficulty," he said; " I
would ask you to pray for me."

"Yes," said Hester, readily, and with relief.
She had feared he had been going to say she
knew not what.

But the ready, bright, relieved face, was too
much for Sir Archie's prudence.

"Do so," he said with a glow in his eyes of
the real true love that was in him, " and I shall
owe you a deep debt of gratitude. And if I live
through these times it will be the business of