to shew him as much civility as lay in their power. It certainly was a truly feminine manœuvre on the part of these young ladies, to try and win the crafty lawyer to their friendship in case he should be acquainted with Lady Thornbury's dread secret-but so it was—and in reply to Mr. Ferris's letter, which announced his intention of coming to receive the rents at one of the farm houses on a specified day after Michaelmas, Lady Thornbury wrote quite a friendly note, claiming him as a guest for the time, and as she knew there were other matters to see to, and arrange, she hoped he would feel assured that a room would be always ready for him at Woodside Manor.

It was rather galling to Eleanor's proud spirit to feel obliged to adopt expediency so entirely as her motto, but with returning health her spirits had been much recruited, and she felt more able to cope with disagreeables than she had done a few weeks ago

and in the present case her terror of an exposure, was the pivot on which all her actions turned.

What Mr. Ferris's ideas were on the receipt of the friendly invitation, we can only guess by that sinister smile on his countenance as he reads it, which physiognomists would translate thus:

"A wonderful change has passed over the spirit of my lady's dream, and she little suspects I have a clue to her reasons for present civility, nay friendliness-however, I will not neglect such a good opportunity, and I have no doubt I shall find plenty of business of different kinds to amuse myself with."

So a polite acceptance was despatched to Lady Thornbury by that day's post, and the foundation of that web which was to entangle poor Eleanor was thus laid, though it is true her own passionate act had rendered it thus easy to throw the meshes around its victim.

It is well for all of us that we are uncon

scious of the effect of our actions upon us in after life, or how fearful we should be of making the least move in life; as could Eleanor have foreseen all the consequences of her first step in deserting her only true love for the sake of gratifying dreams of ambition, not a moment of happiness would have been hers, even amidst the brightness which seemed at first to surround her married life; but the veil which hides the future from our eyes is truly woven by the hands of Mercy, and it is well for us that we cannot lift it off at our own pleasure, as most of us would at times perhaps feel inclined to run the risk of perusing our fate in the future, were it a matter of possibility.

Eleanor sighed as she put the letter into Maude's hand.

"What must be, must," she said, "but I shall be very glad when this visit is over. I really believe I shall feel better, stronger in mind and body, too, if he goes away again

without alluding to that miserable piece of paper, which still weighs so heavily on my mind. Indeed, Maude, I sometimes wish I had owned my foolish, thoughtless act at once "

"Let us hope for the best," replied Maude. "I think with you it is most likely poor Lord Thornbury endeavoured himself, when too late, to destroy it, and if it should have unluckily come to Mr. Ferris's knowledge, I trust he will also see the reasonableness of the supposition."

"I hope, Maude, I may never have to depend upon any reasonableness or forbearance on the part of Mr. Ferris," answered Eleanor sorrowfully.

The lawyer's arrival took place in the evening, and there was only time for a hurried greeting on his part before he joined his hostess in the drawing-room for a few minutes before dinner was announced, during which meal the conversation was, of course, general,

and Eleanor exerted herself to be more than usually gracious to her unwelcome guest.

"You must not think of business this evening, Mr. Ferris," she said when she rose from the table. "You will find us in the drawing

room when you are so disposed."

Mr. Ferris was not long in taking advantage of the invitation, and Maude, in spite of her anxiety, could not help feeling amused at the deliberate way in which he proceeded to make himself comfortable for the evening.

A flush of indignation, however, quickly succeeded to the transient smile when Mr. Ferris said:

แ Pray, ladies, may I ask for a little music? I hope your ladyship feels sufficiently recovered from your late indisposition to favour us with a song? It is so long since I have had the pleasure. I have been quite looking forward to it."

If Maude was astonished at the request, she was still more so to see Lady Thornbury