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"No, girl!-tell you? tell you? Never!" he made answer, with a fierceness that set my heart in a pitiful flutter, and frightened Ennis into complete silence, her large eyes dilating and her cheeks burning.

How thankful I felt when at that instant old John and the tea-tray made their appearance! Charles hesitated a moment, then strode out of the room, muttering to himself like distant thunder, nor returned again until the two girls were gone.

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What a disagreeable, bad-tempered man! exclaimed Ennis, almost breathlessly. "I am very glad he is gone, and sincerely hope he will remain away while we are here; it will be far pleasanter without him."

"What was it all about?" quoth Dora, anxiously, and going to the window, as I sat me down at the tea-table.

"All about?-nothing! positively nothing!" said Ennis, recovering her gaiety, and laughing. "Did you not hear us? I only asked him, very amiably, to tell me what the bitter experience was which he protested had so changed his whole nature within the last few years.'

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Oh, Ennis! how could you venture to ask

him such a question?" interposed Dora, in an "You know how notoriously

awe-struck tone.

touchy and sensitive he is on that forbidden subject."

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Why, he brought it upon himself," rejoined Ennis, "and in truth I forgot all about the mystery, when I answered him. It is so old an affair now, none would remember it if Charles himself would only have the sense to let it be undisturbed in that obscurity to which the world is beginning to consign it; but, instead of that, he furiously drags the unfortunate thing into the light, upon the most trifling provocation-or suspicion of a provocation." Said I, reluctantly,

"It will sound unkind the saying so, but I do not-no, I do not-wish my poor brother to forget the sad past."

"Do you not, Sariann?" quoth Dora, in sorrowful astonishment.

"No dear; afflictive though the recollection is to him, poor fellow, I do not wish it gone from his mind and heart until a more humble and repentant spirit possesses him. But now come to tea, dears," I added, anxious to change a converse, the matter of which was, I

knew, always a painful one to my beloved father.

Of a sudden said the latter,—

"I adhered strictly to the promise I made my son: no allusion escaped my lips in reference to the past; I was careful, I am so still, to banish even from my manner any apparent recollection of the same. But one day, unsolicited, he abruptly volunteered this confession,

"Father, one thing I will say-one onlyand you may believe me as you do your Bible

"He hesitated a moment, then, taking off his hat, for we were walking together in the garden at the time, added slowly and emphatically,—

"So help me Heaven, no shadow of guilt, towards God or man, darkens that wretched transaction in my past life which must ever— God in mercy grant, at least, it may !—remain buried in fathomless secrecy! That is all, father, I have nothing more to say."

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"He turned to hurry from the garden, and for the first and last time I asked a single question, speaking rapidly,

"Tell me this, my son, was it a woman, a heartless woman, who drove you to it? to it?

Was

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there any woman in the case at all? madness of a disappointed affection might—'

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"A woman!' he interrupted in a tone of such vehement scorn it startled me strangely. 'Father! how can you think that of me? A woman make me act as I did! a woman drive me to endure all the suffering, all the-theall I went through! No! not an angel from heaven would have made me do it!'

"A silence of some seconds followed; no more was said; and presently Charles, in a totally altered voice, free from violence and excitement, added,—

"My love for you, father, induced me to make this confession: never again let the horrible subject be mentioned between us.'

"Then he left me at once, and that evening returned to London."

Ennis knew the present style of converse was painful to father, and hereupon broke in with a blithesome account of the alterations and additions her grandmother is making in their gardens and greenhouses, and as such-like topics were pleasing unto all our little party the chatting thereon quickly became general.

After tea, Ennis, under cover of some dis

course 'twixt father and Dora Bell, whispered. me to go and petition Charles to come back.

"Tell him," said she, "I am so sorry I forgot my promise, and vexed him by my foolish questions; I will never do so in that way again if he will forgive me this once. Do, dear Sariann; say I cannot enjoy myself while he remains away angry with me. You may just mention, you know, that I spoke quite in forgetfulness; perhaps he will be glad to find others do not retain so vivid a recollection of the matter as he does."

I felt certain my mission would prove fruitless-that my poor brother would either have left the house or would refuse to hearken to the sweet maiden's entreaties; howbeit I could not resist the pleading of her beauteous eyes as they gazed so wistfully into mine; though so unlike, there is always a somewhat in their dark depths that recalls to memory those azure years before-and I went. eyes of

Charles was out, I could nowhere find him.

There has been a picnic amongst us which, but for certain discomfitures, would have been delightful.

VOL. I.

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