separation between us again. But, Christopher, do you know who Ethel thought you cared for?"

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Surely not for Lady Charlotte Leighton? She could not suppose I should be so senseless, surely?"

"No, it was not Lady Charlotte; it was Marcia! George told her that he was sure you wanted Marcia."

"Do you think he believed it?"

"I cannot say; however, he told Ethel, and Ethel whispered it to me. Of course, I never said a word about it." “But, Ermy, you never believed it?”

"No; still-you know how apt one is to torment one'sself-I could not feel positive that it was not so. I thought, perhaps, after all, I had mistaken you, and the thought gave me great pain. Also, it gave me pain to think it should be as Ethel said, because I knew that Marcia only cared for you as a friend—a fast friend she is, and ever will be; but I was quite certain it was and could be nothing more than that. It would have been such a hopeless attachment for you; and Ethel thought so too."

"I am really inclined to be angry with Ethel; she ought to have known me better. I thoroughly esteem and admire Marcia Trevanion, but I should never have thought of marrying her, even had I been her equal in position and possessions. Poor as I am, I could not marry a rich wife !"

"Do you think it would much matter, if you cared for each other?"

"I should not like to be dependent upon my wife; no right-minded man would like it. I could not marry money; but if money came to me afterwards through my marriage, I suppose I should have to make the best of it."

66 I suppose you would; but do not fear that I shall ever try you in this respect. I am not at all likely to turn out an heiress my father died when I was very young; he was a medical man, you know, and had saved nothing; only he had insured his life for a sum that brought in about forty pounds a year. Mamma went back to her parents, who were poor also, and they took care of her and me, and insisted on her

saving her little income till it should be needed, as they would have nothing to leave her. But some of it was spent in my education, and in mamma's long illness. Then grandmamma died, and very soon afterwards grandpapa; and I found, when everything was settled, I had just twenty pounds a year to live on! I went into a situation, and did not touch my annual twenty pounds, making my salary suffice, lest sickness should come upon me. Then Marcia

found me, and you know the rest. She has never allowed me to touch my 'private fortune,' as she calls it; so that it has finely accumulated, and I have now 1007. and more in the bank, besides the principal. There! that is all the fortune you will ever get with me; so you need not talk so fiercely about a rich wife. Only, Christopher, I think, where there is perfect love, it does not matter which side gives or which receives. I should think it very hard if now you were to turn away from me simply because somebody left me a great deal of money. However, of that there is no danger."

"I am glad of it; but I do not think I should relinquish my claim now, Ermy, even if you became a second Miss Burdett Coutts. I suppose Marcia will never marry. She must be very rich."

"Yes; richer than Lord Silverdale, I believe. I do not think she ever will marry now, though she is quite young still, and in some things at heart more of a girl than a woman. But she was so bitterly deceived once that I cannot wonder at her."

"She discovered that she was going to be married for her money, did she not?"

"Yes. You know she was acknowledged as Captain Robert Trevanion's heiress, and she had many suitors, but only one that she cared for at all, and that one man she loved passionately, just as you may fancy Marcia Trevanion, with her ardent and naturally confiding nature, would love. Well, whether it was to try the young man or not, I do not know-Marcia cannot understand it herself, for she says her uncle was so truthful a man that he would not have told a

falsehood to serve a purpose, however good and laudable that purpose might be-but Captain Robert certainly told Marcia's betrothed that he should not leave her the estates. Immediately he wished to break off the match, and did break it off, and went and married another heiress whose prospects were apparently assured. His baseness has met with its just reward, for the lady for whose wealth he sacrificed Marcia has lost all her fortune, and involved him in alarming liabilities, while, after all, Marcia inherits Singlehurst."

"She had a fortunate escape."

"She had indeed, and she feels it so; but still she suffered cruelly, and still suffers, I am afraid the wonder is that her whole nature is not embittered."

"What will she think of our engagement?"

"I think she will be pleased. She has no desire to make me follow her example and vow myself to perpetual spinsterhood."

"She is too noble and too generous to wish you to do anything that would not be for your happiness. It is strange, though, that Captain Robert should have told this young man that she was not to be his heiress."

"Yes, and stranger still, he told Marcia the same thing." "I suppose he changed his mind; indeed, there was no one to leave the estates to except George Trevanion, and he is not so near of kin to the Singlehurst Trevanions as Marcia is."

"There is Mr. Carfax."

'Oh, yes; but no one knew anything about him then."

'Captain Robert knew of his existence."

"Yes, I suppose so. Ermy! there is no reason why we

should not openly acknowledge our engagement ?

"None in the world, only-"

"Only what?"

"As it will be a long engagement, it might be better not to set people talking."

"Never mind 'people'; they must know sooner or later,

and they will only talk till something else turns up as news. Besides, Marcia must know, and Ethel, and then George will know, and he will tell Grosvenor Smith. We had better announce it ourselves."

"Just as you please."

"I do please, then. I am very proud of being engaged at last, Ermy. After tea you must tell Maudie, and I will tell my mother. They will be so glad."

CHAPTER XXXII.

SHATTERED IDOLS.

AND glad indeed they were, both Maude and Mrs. Gray, when after tea they were separately told the good news. Maude and Ermengarde were walking behind the house, in what was called the filbert avenue, though two or three filbert-trees alone remained of the goodly number that had once been there; and Maude, hearing what her friend had to confess, gave way to an ecstasy of delight, almost smothering Ermy with kisses, and calling her all the endearing names that she could possibly heap together. A very demonstrative young lady was Miss Maude Gray.

"Bless you, my darling!" was her concluding speech; "you saved Christopher's life once, and now you will save it again; for I believe he never would have got well without something thoroughly to rouse him."

"Did he want rousing, then?"

"He wanted something, Ermy. He seemed not to care about anything in the world; everything was a trouble to him. We had some difficulty in persuading him to come down stairs, and when he did come down he cared only to lie still with his eyes shut-dreaming, I suppose. Dr. Wreford said he wanted spring, he had got down so low that it was

difficult to rally, and once he hinted that unless something came to make him long ardently for recovery, it would never be. I began to be so frightened, and all the while I knew he was thinking about you. When are you going to be married?" "I have not the remotest notion."

"Then what is the use of getting engaged?"

"A great deal of use, for now we understand each other: now I have a right to share Christopher's anxieties, and to help you nurse him. It is useless to talk about marrying when there is nothing to live on!"

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Ermengarde, now! I did not think you were so calculating, so coldly prudent!"

"I do not think I am either, Maude; I am only rational. Besides, Christopher himself said we must wait, it is impossible to say how long; and I am quite content."

"If Christopher were my lover, I would marry him on nothing a year!"

"I hope nobody with nothing a year will ever come wooing you, Maudie ; for if you accept him, and straightway rush into matrimony, you may lay the foundations of a life-long misery."

"No fear of it, Ermy! I shall not find anyone like Christopher in a hurry; my brother has put me out of conceit with the common run of young men. When one has been used to rose-diamonds, one does not care for crystals and paste! There is no one in the world like my brother Christopher!"

In which opinion Ermy entirely coincided, though she did not express her sentiments; and when Maude gave her a final kiss and hug before they re-entered the house, and said energetically, "You are a fortunate girl, Ermy; you are engaged to the best man on earth!" Ermy smiled so radiantly, and such a glow of beaming happiness came over her usually pale face, that Maude thought her absolutely beautiful.

It was late when Ermengarde got back to the Manor House, but Marcia had not yet returned. She was glad of it—glad to be alone to think of the great change that had come to her that day-glad to give God thanks for the blessing of this true, pure, fervent love, which came from Him, like all other