anything of that kind, and Mr Wykeham told me that when he got Dr Elliott's warning about the state of his health, he was very anxious to sell his interest in one of his best speculations in order to put things a little straight, and was only prevented because he could not at the time do it advantageously."

The Winstanleys showed no diminution of their kindness to Katie. Clara had done everything that affectionate regard could suggest to cheer and comfort her, and when, as the warm weather came on, the languor and prostration, from which she had never recovered, became still more noticeable, Mrs Winstanley insisted on the execution of a project she had for some time had in view,—that of taking Katie, with her own family, on a long-planned visit to the sea-side. Helen thought the scheme an excellent one, and would not hear of Katie's declining it, which she was strongly disposed to do on the score of the expense it would entail upon her friends. But when Helen represented to her that it would give Mrs Winstanley as great pleasure to do the kindness as it could to Katie to accept it, so she overcame her scruples, and yielded, with no small delight in her heart at the prospect of seeing so much that would be new to her, and especially the sea, of which she had so often dreamed and heard both from her mother and Mrs Duncan. The only alloy to her pleasure was, that Helen was not going too. Helen would certainly have liked it very well, had the trip been practicable for her; though, much more than for herself, she coveted it for her father, who was feeling the inroads of age and the prostration due to unremitting work, and whom the sea air and the change would have

braced and invigorated. But as, with their slender income, the expense put it out of the question, she wisely turned away her thoughts from the subject, feeling that she could trust the Disposer of their lives with this as with every other interest. She told Katie, smiling, that her turn would perhaps come next, and as, at any rate, she wished to visit her sister in the autumn after Katie came back, it would not have done for her to be away from home so long; and she took fully more pleasure than Katie herself did in preparing her outfit; and she assisted her to remodel her slender stock of dresses, so as to make them look as well as they could, for Katie was determined not to spend a penny more in this or any other way than was absolutely necessary. Helen, indeed, had some trouble in prevailing upon her to procure the additions to her wardrobe which she deemed needful, and Mrs Winstanley considerately sent her a present of a neat dark-gray travellingdress, made as nearly as possible similar to Clara's,—a thing Katie would never have thought of ordering for herself.

The evening before they were to start, Helen accompanied Katie as she went to say good-bye to her friend Mrs Duncan. The day had been very sultry, but in the evening a cool breeze had sprung up, which enabled Katie with less fatigue to take a longer walk than she was usually equal to now. She had not been in that vicinity, which was that of her old home, since the house had been shut up and the furniture sold; and its deserted, desolate appearance, as she passed it, awaking a host of dear old associations, did not fail to bring tears to her eyes, though Mrs Duncan's

cheerful, kindly greeting soon dispelled the shadow that had come over her face.

"I'd like well a glint o' the bonnie blue sea, mysel," said Mrs Duncan, as she was bidding her good-bye; "I used to be aye glad to come in sight o' it again when I had been for awhile away, as at the sight and hearing o' what used to seem like an old friend, with its deep solemn murmur aye sounding in our ears. Well, it doesna much matter, for though we are told there will be "no more sea " in the country we are looking for, still there will be no longing unsatisfied there, we may be sure o' that! And much good may the sea do you, my dear, and I hope you'll come back a hantle rosier and stronger than you go away!"

"Helen," said Katie, as they slowly walked homewards in the dusk, “I feel as if I were selfish in having so much pleasure at the thought of going when you are not, and yet I do so wish you were going too."

"It wouldn't be selfish, it would be ungrateful, if you were not to enjoy as much as you can a pleasure God puts in your way. As it is not put in mine at present, it cannot be best for me, just now at any rate. But I shall enjoy your letters while you are away, and think how much you will have to tell me when you come back."

"Yes, indeed," said Katie, "and I'll try and remember everything to tell you about. And you and Ned will both write to me about all that is going on here."

T was a lovely morning in the beginning of August when the travellers set out. They were to drive to Ashby in the Winstanleys' carriage, to take the train there, and in order to be in time they had to start very early. When the carriage called at the Manse to take up Katie, the mill-bells were just ringing for six o'clock, and the drive was thus accomplished while the air was fresh and cool, and the heavy dew still subdued the dust. They had time, while waiting at the station, to supplement their necessarily hasty breakfast, and then the train came in sight, gave its shrill whistle, stopped, just allowed them time to get comfortably settled in their places, and was bearing them away out of sight of the Ashby steeples, before Katie could

realise that they were really off into what, to her, was an unknown world.

She had scarcely ever, since she was old enough to remember, been out of Lynford, at least to any considerable distance, and every mile of the journey therefore disclosed some object of interest quite new to her. They had fine weather during the whole of the journey, a long one from our Western Canada to the seaboard. It would scarcely be possible fully to describe Katie's intense enjoyment of the beautiful sail down the broad St Lawrence, with its ever-shifting panorama of lovely islands and white foaming rapids. Montreal, with its imposing mountain background, its masses of buildings, lofty towers, and forest of shipping, powerfully impressed her inexperienced imagination, which had never before been able to picture what a great city was like; and as they rattled along over the hard streets and between the tall houses, to the hotel where they were to spend the night, she sat in perfect silence, gazing with excited interest on the crowds of passers-by, and the other characteristics of the scene, all so new to her untravelled senses.

They spent the next forenoon in visiting the cathedral and other sights of interest, and started in the middle of the day for Island Pond, thinking the whole journey to Portland too fatiguing, especially to Katie, to be performed throughout in a single day. The excitement seemed for the time to have given her new energy, but for that very reason it was the more necessary to be careful, lest the demand it was making on her strength should tell upon her seriously afterwards. Pleasant as was their route during the afternoon, among the blue windings of the St Francis and the