fate?"

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You foolish fellow," said Kate; "how could I be Undine and not a drop of water nearer than Fanshawe Regis? Don't you see that when we go in papa is there? You would not like me to write up in big letters I have gone over to the enemy -I don't belong to you any longer.' You know, John, it would be true. I am not his now, poor papa, and he is so fond of me ; but you would not like me to put that on a flag and have it carried before me; you would not be so cruel to papa ?"

stirred him up to the height of a grande kind and sweet, but you will be Miss Credpassion? It was not that she meant to be iton. Are we shadows, you and I? or are cruel to John. But such an opportunity you Undine or Lorelei drawing me to my does not come in everybody's way. She could not help wondering suddenly how he would feel under the trial, and how his sufferings would show themselves. As for his going away, she did not put much faith in that. He would be very unhappy, and there would be a certain satisfaction in the sight of his torments. Kate did not say this in words, nor was she conscious of meaning it; but in the mere levity of her power the thought flashed through her mind. For, to be sure, it would only be for a moment that she would let him suffer. When she had enjoyed that evidence of her own supremacy, then she would overwhelm him with kindness, to prove to him how foolish he was ever to doubt her, give herself to him without waiting for anybody's leave. But in the mean time that strange "Whose else should I be?" whispered curiosity to see how far her power went Kate. And the lover's satisfaction attained which is at the bottom of so much cruelty for a moment to that point of perfection ran through her mind. It all went and which lasts but for a moment. His heart came in the twinkling of an eye, passing seemed to stop beating in that ineffable fullike the lightning, and when she answered him, poor John had no idea what a sudden gleam of suggestion had come over her, or how far her imagination had gone in the time.

"But there is not going to be an end," she said, in her soft coaxing voice. "And you will put up with it, and with papa, and with a great many things we don't like won't you? for the sake of a poor little girl who is not worth it. Oh, John! you know you committed yourself to all that when you saved my life."

John was nothing loath to commit himself now to anything she asked of him; and as they strayed on under the dark rustling lime-trees, with nobody within sight or sound, and the darkness enclosing them, utter content came over the young man's mind. After all, was not this hour cheaply purchased by all the tedium and all the disgusts of common life? And even the common life looked more endurable in this sweet gloom which was full of Kate's soft breathing, and the soft rustle of her dress, and sense of her presence. She was so close to him, leaning on his arm, and yet he could see nothing but an outline of her by his side. It was thus she had been by him on the night which decided his fate- a shadow-woman, tender, clinging, almost invisible. 66 Kate, Kate," he said, out of his full heart, "I wonderi f you are a little witch leading me astray, for it is always in the dark when I can't see you that you are good to me. When we go in you will be

"I am a poor mortal," said John, “I almost think I could be cruel. If you are not his, are you mine? Say so, you little Queen of Shadows, and I will try to remember it and comfort my heart."

ness of content. He took her into his arms in the soft summer darkness two shadows in a world of shadow. Everything around them, everything before them, was dim with mist. Nothing could be more uncertain than their prospects, a fact which John, at least, had begun to realize fully. The whole scene was an illustration of the words which were so often in his heart. Uncertain gusts of balmy wind, now from one quarter, now from another, agitated the trees overhead. The faint twilight of the skies confused all outlines - the darkness under the trees obliterated every living thing-little mysterious thrills of movement, of the leaves, of the air, of invisible insects or roosted birds, were about them. We are such stuff as dreams are made of. But amid these shadows for one moment supreme satisfaction and delight filled the mind of John at least.

Mr. Crediton was in the drawing-room all alone when they went in. Had he been prudent he would have gone to his library, as he usually did, and spared himself the sight; but this night a jealous curiosity had possessed him. To see his child, who had been his for all these years, come in with dazzled dazzling eyes, and that soft blush on her cheek, and her arm, even as they entered the room, lingering within that of her lover, was very hard upon him. Confound him! he said in his heart, although he knew well that but for John he would have had no child. He noted the change which came over Kate― that change which chilled her

lover, and went through him like a blast from the snow-hills without any pleasure, almost without additional irritation. She is not even frank, as she used to be, he said to himself. She puts on a face to cheat me, and to make me believe I am something to her still; and it might almost be said that Mr. Crediton hated the young fellow who had come between him and his child.

It is such a lovely evening, papa," said Kate, we could scarcely make up our minds to come in. It is not the country, of course; but still I am fond of our garden. Even at Fanshawe I don't think there are nicer trees."

"Of course the perfection of everything is at Fanshawe," he said, with a sudden sharpness which changed the very atmosphere of the room all in a moment; "but I think it is imprudent to stay out so late, and it is damp, and there is no moon. thought you required a moon for such rambles. Please let me have a cup of tea."

I

of their voices in low-toned conversation, with little bursts of laughter and soft exclamations, was gall and wormwood to the father. It was all "that fellow," he thought; his Kate herself would never have used him so; and it was all his self-control could do to prevent him addressing some bitter words to John. But the fact was, it was Kate's doing alone Kate, who was less happy to-night than usual, but whom his tone had galled into opposition. "No," she was whispering to John, "you are not to go away-unless you want to be rid of me. Papa ought to be brought to his senses

he has no right to be so cross; and I am not going to give in to him." This was the nature of the conversation which was going on behind Mr. Crediton's back. He did not hear it, and yet it gave him a furious sense of resentment which expressed itself at last in various little assaults.

Have the goodness not to whisper, Kate," he said. "You know it sets my nerves on edge. Speak out," an address "We did very well without a moon," said which had the effect of ending all conversaKate, trying to keep up her usual tone; but tion between the lovers for a minute or two. it was not easy, and she went off with a sub- They sat silent and looked at each other till dued step to the tea-table, and had not even Mr. Crediton spoke again. "I seem unforthe courage to call John to her, as she gen-tunately to act upon you like a wet blanket," erally did. Oh, why didn't papa stay in he said, with an acrid tone in his voice. his own room? she said to herself. It is Perhaps you would rather I went away." only one night in the week, and he should At this Kate's spirit was roused. “Papa, not be so selfish. But she took him his tea I don't know what I have done to displease with her own hand and tried all she could you," she said, coming forward. If I am to soothe him, "You have got a headache, only to see him once in the week, surely I papa," she said, tenderly, putting down the may talk to him when he comes." cup on the table by him, and looking so anxious, so ingenuous, and innocent, that it was hard to resist her.

"I have no headache," he said; "but I am busy. Don't take any notice, occupy yourselves as you please, without any thought of me."

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"I am not aware that I have objected to your talk," said Mr. Crediton, restraining his passion.

"Not in words," said Kate, now fairly up in arms; but it is not just, papa. It makes John unhappy and it makes me unhappy. He has a right to have me to himself when he comes. You cannot forget that we are engaged. I never said a word when you insisted on once a-week, though it was a disappointment; but you know he ought not to be cheated now."

This speech was produced by a sudden compunction aud sense of injustice. It was a sacrifice to right, and yet he was all wrong and set on edge. He thought that Kate should have perceived that this amiability was forced and fictitious; but either All this time John had been moving about she was insensible to it, or she did not any at the further end of the room, at once anlonger care to go deeper than mere words. gry to the verge of violence, and discourShe kissed his forehead as if he had been in aged to the lowest pitch. He had cleared the kindest mood, and said, "Poor papa! his throat and tried to speak a dozen times -thanks. It is so kind of you to think of already. Now he came forward, painfully us when you are suffering.' To think of restraining himself. "I ought to speak,' them! when she must have known he was he said; but I dare not trust myself to say wishing the fellow away. And then Kate anything. Mr. Crediton cannot expect me retired to the tea-table, which was behind to give up willingly the only consolation I Mr. Crediton, and out of sight, and he saw have." her beckon to John with a half-impercepti

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It is time enough to speak of giving up ble movement. The young man obeyed, when any one demands a sacrifice," said and went and sat beside her, and the sound Mr. Crediton, taking upon him suddenly

that superiority of perfect calm with which subject. There was nothing to look fora middle-aged man finds it so often possible ward to nothing but darkness. It was to confute an impatient boy. "I am sorry natural that she, a spoiled child of fortune, that my innocent remarks should have irri- should smile and trust in something turning tated you both. You must school me, Kate," up; but as for John, he saw nothing that he added, with a forced smile, "what I am could turn up; and in all the world there to do and say." seemed to him no single creature with less hope of moulding his future according to his wishes than himself,

And then he went to his room, with a sense that he had won the victory. And certainly, if victory is won every time the other side is discomfited, such was the case at this moment. John did not say anything - did not even come to be comforted, but kept walking up and down at the other end of the room. It was Kate who had to go to him, to steal her hand within his arm to coax him back to his usual composure. And it was a process not very easy to be performed. She moved him quickly enough to tender demonstrations over herself, which indeed she had no objection to, but John was chilled and discouraged and cast down to the very depths.

"He was only cross," said Kate; "when he is cross I never pay any attention. Something has gone wrong in business, or that sort of thing. John, dear, say you don't mind. It is not me that am making myself disagreeable; it is only papa."

CHAPTER XVI.

THIS moment of dismay, however, passed over, as the moments of delight did, without bringing about any absolute revolution in John's life. The next day Mr. Crediton took occasion to be more than ordinarily civil, repenting of his bad humour, and Kate stopped short before his window as she rode by to wave her hand to him. A man cannot build the comfort of his life permanently on such trifles; but there is a moment when the wave of a girl's hand as she passes is enough to strengthen and exhilarate his heart. So the crisis blew over as the others had done, and the routine went on. John set his teeth, and confronted his position with all its difficulties, making a desperate effort. A woman might bear such a trial, and live through it; but it is hard upon a man, when But it was hard to get John to respond. he is no longer a boy, to be called upon to Notwithstanding that Mr. Crediton had re- give up everything, to change the entire tired and left the field open, and that Kate current of his occupations, and make an undid all in her power to detain him, the questionable descent in the social scale, for young man left her earlier than usual, and love, without even giving him its natural with a sufficiently heavy heart. Kate's compensations. An imprudent marriage is father was seeking a quarrel-endeavour- a different thing, for there the consequences ing to show him the falseness of his position, are inevitable when once the step has been and make it plain how obnoxious he was. taken, and have to be borne, will he nill he. John walked all the long way home to his But to make love his all-the sole object little lodgings, which were at the other end and meaning of his life — there was in this of the town, contemplating the dim Sunday a certain humiliation which by turns overstreets, all so dark, with glances of lamp-whelmed John's fortitude and courage. To light and dim reflections from the wet pave- give up happiness for higher aims is surely ment for in the mean time rain had fallen. more worthy, more noble, more fit, than to And this was all he had for all he had sac-give up everything else for the hope of haprificed. He did not reckon Kate herself in piness. He who had made himself wretched the self-discussion. She was worth every-over the stumbling-blocks of absolute bething a man could do; but to be thus chained lief required from him by the Church, was and bound, within sight, yet shut out from not likely to find much comfort in the her -to be made the butt of another man's thought that he was abandoning every jealous resentment - to have a seeming chance of a useful life for the sake of a soft privilege, which was made into a kind of word, a rare caress, or even, to take it at torture and to have given his life for this, its best, for the chance of eventual selfish what could he say even to himself? He personal happiness. But he restrained sat down in his hard arm-chair and gazed himself as best he could, and settled down into the flame of his two candles, and felt doggedly to his work, trying not to think himself unable to do anything but brood of it, not to look forward to the moments over what had happened. He could not which were supposed to be his recompense, read nor turn his mind from the covert in- and were at the same time his punishment. sult, the unwilling consent. And what was It was indeed a relief to him, and helped to come of it? John covered his face with him to bear his burden more steadily when his hands when he came to that part of the the annual removal of the family to Fern

wood took place, and Kate vanished from | against my will, and I should spend it all before his eyes. She cried when she parted alone unless you'll stay." with him that last Sunday, and John felt a "Thanks; it does me good to see a known serrement du cœur which almost choked him; face. I'll stay if you'll have me," said but still, at the same time, when it was over John; and then, as it was still daylight, and she was gone, life on the whole became they took a preparatory stroll about the easier. He made an effort to interest him- streets of Camelford. The inn was in the self in his brother clerks, and enter into High Street, not very far from the bank and their life; but what was a humiliation to the Crediton mansion. The young men John was to them such a badge of superior- walked about in the twilight streets talking ity that he could make but little of that. of everything in earth and heaven. It was He was Mr. Crediton's future son-in-law, to John as if they had met in the depths of probably their own future employer, in the Africa or at a lonely Indian station. He eyes of the young men around him, who had never been very intimate with Fred accepted his advances with a deference and Huntley, but they were of the same class, half-concealed pride which threw John back with something like the same training and again upon himself. He had no equals, no associations, and the exile could have emcompanions. To be sure there were plenty braced the new-comer, who spoke his own of people in Camelford who would have language, and put the same meaning to orbeen glad to receive Dr. Mitford's son, but dinary words as he did. It was a long he had no desire for the ordinary kind of time before he even noticed the inquiring society. And it is not to be described with way in which Huntley looked at him, the what pleasure he saw Fred Huntley, a man half-questions he now and then would put whom he had never cared for heretofore, sharply in the midst of indifferent converpush open the swinging door of the bank, sation, as if to take him off his guard. John and peer round the place with short-sighted was not on his guard, and consequently the eyes. Mr. Mitford, if you please," Fred precaution was ineffectual; but after a said, perhaps rather superciliously, to the while he observed it with a curious sensaclerk who was John's superior, expecting, tion of surprise. It was not, however, till it was clear, to be ushered into some secret they had dined, and were seated opposite retirement where the principals of the bank to each other over their modest bottle of might be. When John rose from his desk, claret, that they fairly entered upon perHuntley gazed at him with unfeigned aston-sonal affairs. ishment. What! you here!" he said; and opened his eyes still wider when John turned round and explained to Mr. Whichelo that he was going out, and why. "You don't mean to say they stick you at a desk like that, among all those fellows?" Fred said, as they left the bank together; which exclamation of wonder revived the original impatience which use and wont by this time had calmed down.

"Exactly like the other fellows," said John; "and quite right too, or why should I be here ?"

"Then I suppose you are - learning the business," said Fred. "Old Crediton must mean you to be his successor. And that is great luck, though I confess it would not have much charm for me."

"It is very well," said John, "I have nothing to complain of. If I can stick to it I suppose I shall earn some money sooner or later, which is a great matter, all you people say."

"Of course it is a great matter," said Fred. "You told that old fellow you were going out in a wonderful explanatory way, as if you thought he mightn't like it. Can't you stay and have something with me at the hotel? I have to be here all night, much VOL. XVII. 733

LIVING AGE.

"Do you find the life suit you?" said Fred, abruptly. "I beg your pardon if I am too inquisitive; but of course it must be a great change."

"I am not sure that it suits me particularly," said John; but the glance which accompanied the question had been very keen and searching, and somehow, without knowing it, a sense of suspicion ran through him ;

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I don't suppose any life does until one is thoroughly used to it. Routine is the grand safeguard in everything - and perhaps more than in anything else to a clerk in a bank.”

"But that is absurd," said Fred. "How long do you and Mr. Crediton mean to keep up the farce? a clerk in the bank betrothed to his daughter it is too good a joke."

"I don't see the farce," said John, "and neither, I suppose, does Mr. Crediton; he is not given to joking. Now tell me, Huntley, before we go any further, is it the dear old people at home who have asked you to come and look after me? was it my mother? She might have known I would tell her at first hand anything there was to tell."

At this speech Fred Huntley became very much confused, though he did not look like a man to be easily put out. He grew red,

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he cleared his throat, he shuffled his feet about the carpet. Upon my word you mistake," he said; "I have not seen either Mrs. Mitford or the Doctor since you left ?" "Then who has sent you?" said John.

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My dear fellow, you have grown mighty suspicious all at once. Why should any one have sent me? may not I look up an old friend for my own pleasure? surely we have known each other sufficiently for that." "You might," said John," but I don't think that is the whole question, and it would be best to tell me at once what you want to know I am quite willing to unfold my experiences," he said, with a forced smile; and then there was a pause.

"The fact of the matter is," said Fred Huntley, after an interval, with an attempt at jocularity, "that you are an intensely lucky fellow. What will you say if I tell you that I have just come from Fernwood, and that if any one sent me it was Kate Crediton, wishing for a report as to your health and spirits though it is not so long since she has seen you, I suppose ? "

"Kate Crediton?" said John, haughtily. "I beg your pardon: my sisters are intimate with her, you know, and I hear her called so fifty times in a day-one falls into it without knowing. Hang it! since you will have it, Mitford, Miss Crediton did speak to me before I left, She heard I was coming to Camelford, and she came to me the night before last night, in fact — and told me you were here alone, and she was uneasy about you. I wish anybody was uneasy about me. She wanted to know if you were lonely, if you were unhappy-half a hundred things. I hope you don't object to her anxiety. I assure you it conveyed a very delightful idea of your good fortune to me."

to move you;" Huntley went on, with a restrained smile" but you really must not do Miss Crediton injustice through any clumsiness of mine. It came about in the most natural way. She was afraid there had been some little sparring between her father and yourself, and was anxious, as in her position it was so natural to be

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Exactly," said John. "Are you on your way home now, or are you going back to Fernwood? I should ask you to take a little parcel for me if you were likely to be near Fanshawe. How are the birds? I don't suppose I shall do them much harm this year.

"Oh, they're plentiful enough," said Huntley;" my father has the house full, and I am not much of a shot, you know. They would be charmed to see you if you would go over for a day or two. I mean to make a run to Switzerland, myself. Vaughan has some wonderful expedition on hand up the Matterhorn, or something—and I should like to be on the spot."

"Shall you go up with him?" said John. "Not I, but I should like to be at hand to pick up what remains of him if he comes to grief- and to share his triumph, of course, if he succeeds," Fred added, with a laugh-"a friend's privilege. Are you going?-it is scarcely ten o'clock."

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"You forget I am a man of business nowadays," said John, with an uncomfortable smile; and then they stood over the table, facing but not looking at each other; a suppressed resentment and excitement possessing one, which he was doing his utmost to restrain-and the other embarrassed, with a mixture of charitable vexation and malicious pleasure in the effect he had produced.

Whatever Miss Crediton chose to say "I'll walk with you," said Huntley; for must have been like herself," cried John, to shake hands and separate at this moment trembling with sudden passion,." and no would have been something like an irredoubt she thought you were a very proper deemable breach- and that, for two men ambassador. But you must be aware, Hunt-belonging to the same county, and almost ley, that ladies judge very differently on the same set, was a thing to be avoided. these points from men. If you please we John had not sufficient command of himself will not go further into that question." to make any effusive reply, but he did not It was not I who began it, I am sure," object; and presently they were in the street said Fred; and another pause ensued, dur- walking side by side and discoursing on ing which John sat with lowering brows, every subject except the one in their minds. and an expression no one had ever seen on They had not walked very far, however, his face before. "Look here, Mitford," before some indefinable impulse made John said Fred, suddenly, "don't go and vex turn back to cast a glance at the bankyourself for nothing. If any indiscretion the scene of his daily penance - and the vaof mine should make dispeace between cant house that stood beside it. They were a good way down the street, on the opposite side. He gave a slight start, which his companion perceived, but offered no explanation of it. 66 Let us turn back a little, I have forgotten something," he said.

you

"Pray don't think for a moment that such a thing is likely to happen," said John.

Well-well-if I am too presumptuous in supposing anything I say to be likely

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