Maude should announce it carefully to Eleanor that Mr. Archer should be written to, and if any one knew of the poor man's relations they should be summoned.

"The body must remain, the doctor said, till the inquest, which will be held to-night, as soon as the coroner could be sent for, and of course I shall have to attend-God knows," he broke out in an unexplained passion"that though the poor fellow died in bitter enmity with I would have done anything

me,

to prevent so terrible an end as this!"

CHAPTER XII.

"All precious things discovered late, to those that seek them issue forth

For love in sequel works with fate, and draws the veil from hidden worth."

TENNYSON.

"YES! all went well," said Charles, the next day in answer to a question of Eleanor's respecting the inquest which he had been required to attend, held on the unfortunate Ferris. "I feared at first there might have been some trouble, as the man who caught Ferris's horse thought' he had heard loud talking in the wood just before; but as he deposed to the fact that the gentleman swore he was all right when he got upon his horse again, and began to beat it unmercifully for rearing,

เ

and 'seeming,' the man said, almost out of his senses with rage; the fact of the accidental death was clearly proved without our names being in any way mixed up in it; which was fortunate."

In spite of the feeling, which they could not help owning to themselves, that the death of Mr. Ferris had relieved them from many anxieties and perplexities, his sudden and violent end cast a gloom over Woodside.

Eleanor sorrowed deeply for poor Lucy, whose love for her brother had blinded her entirely to that darker side of his character, which his unhappy passion for Eleanor had brought out. Her love for him amounted almost to idolatry, and the terrible shock of his death nearly overwhelmed her.

It was difficult for Charles to tear himself away from Woodside, though after two or three happy days, in which all their hopes and plans for the future were discussed, he did remember that his sister had returned to

Sydenham, and was anxiously waiting to see him.

Mr. and Mrs. Ferne consented to leave Maude with her cousin for the six or seven weeks that remained before Eleanor had completed her second year of widowhood, as she had determined at that time to resign her old home to its new possessor. Maude therefore remained to assist her in making all the necessary preparations for removal. When, at the expiration of that time, the two cousins bade adieu to the scene of so much sorrow, it seemed a relief to Eleanor's mind as she took leave of those stately rooms and that fine park.

"Oh, Maude," she said, as they drove for the last time down the avenue on their way to the station, "believe me, dearest Maude, it is not for sorrow at leaving my beautiful home that these tears will flow; no, they are tears of thankfulness at my unexpected deliverance from my cruel bondage;

and at the bright, happy future which I may now venture to look forward to!"

It had been Eleanor's wish, warmly seconded by Maude, that her second marriage should take place, as her first had done, in the dear old Norrington church; that the deep heartfelt vows of love and obedience to the husband of her choice, should be blessed in the same place where those too hasty and thoughtless ones had been spoken before. And so it was to be.

Poor Lucy Ferris had been dangerously ill since the shock of her brother's death, and Eleanor could not be induced to fix her wedding day until the crisis was past, and the poor girl was pronounced to be recovering.

Miss Hastings, as we have seen, had formed some suspicions as to the state of affairs between Maude and Mr. Stafford, which came very near the truth, and she watched Maude so anxiously during this time of Eleanor's residence at Oak Cottage, and especially dur