Margaret Vincent

s. The chances were that he might go on for some time longer, and he thought it would be best for his brother to come out when the end was getting near. Gradually they had l

them to Gerald. For scrupulous Churchman as Cyril had remained, even through all his excesses and mistakes, he recognized the courage with which his brother had stood by what he believed to be t

garden, the first green was on the trees, the sowers were busy in the fields, and all the earth smelled sweet. In the house spring cleani

s respects to her mother, and then not be as good as his word. It isn't even as if he hadn't sent her a card at Christmas, showing he still thought of

n exhilaration for youth, and so was just keeping an eye open without committing himself. But whatever the reason, Mr. Garratt had not yet appeared, and the effects were obvio

Mrs. Vincent and Margaret allowed themselves the luxury of a little foolish talk together in the living-place. It was only possible when Hannah was not about, for she had no patience with a

at one was from Australia. But she recovered in a moment; after all, there had been many letters now, and this might be only one added to the number. The strange thing was that she never asked a question. When he had to go he would tell her, she thought; wha

him, Margaret," she sa

ne directed with violet ink," Mar

o divert her own thoughts. "I can't believe you are growing

h a crinkle in it that had of late grown gray. "What is going to happen to me?" she aske

I can't bear the idea of yo

hat behind the shut door of the best parlor something was going on that might change the whole current of their lives. "Father doesn't want to sit so much in-doors as he has done," Margaret continued; "so he means to buy a tent, a little square one, op

what will

he added, with a sigh of content, "and I am so glad it's coming. I don't believe Hannah's heaven will

argey, dear," Mrs. Vincent said

, impulsively. "I won't do anythi

nd looked at him, and then for a moment at the green world beyond the porch, as if

ing," he said, "and should like to

ile Margaret stood breathless, seeing in imaginati

a day an

onal visits her father had paid to London he had gone

d he saw the outcome of things that were going to happen. "All

hall know, I shall have seen and remember it all. Dear mot

while she asked her husband, "Where will you stay if you don't com

angham, I suppose. Of cours

ossible that symptoms might develop which would hurry the inevitable. It was to take a specialist's opinion, so far as might be gathered from a letter, to see his lawyers, and to arrange for a probable voyage in the near future that Mr. Vincent was goi

ave a daughter. I knew nothing about you before, except what I gathered from your articles in the Fortnightly. Do you never come to London? If you do, come and see me; we will avoid all reference to

r all the trouble I caused you, and that you will one day come

rs a

a Lak

visits to house-boats, the merry little luncheon-party on the point at Cookham. Mrs. Berwick had been the discreetest of chaperons, and when they had drunk their coffee-vile coffee it had been-he and Hilda had wandered off while the others stayed drowsily behind. How strange it was to think of it all! He could feel still her arms clinging round his neck, and hear her low, passionate whisper-"Yes, yes, I love you-I love you-I love you!" Words had never come easily to him, and he had been ashamed of his dumbness when she could find them. Remembering them now, her tones rang false. He thought of his ordination, and the happy winter when gradually he had put aside the foolish dissipations, and work and love made up his life; of the curacy he held for a little while. Hilda had been full of some scheme; he understood it dimly when he went to the bishop's palace and she had whispered-it was the first sign of what was coming-"Who knows but that some day we shall be installed here, you and I?" The bishop gave him a living later, and she cried, triumphantly: "I made father do it. It's the first step. I shall never be satisfied till you are on the top one." The speech worried him, grated on him all through th

im. He had looked at her aghast. To him truth was the first condition of life and honor; to her it was of no consequence if it spelled inexpediency. Her attitude resulted in his writing some articles that made his position worse in a worldly sense; but he loved her all the time, his infatuation even became greater as he saw the impossibility of sympathy or agreement between them. But he was too strong a man to let passion master him; besides, it seemed as if all the time, afar off, Truth stood with the clear eyes that in later years had been his wife's attraction to him, and, cool, calm, and unflinching drew him to her-away from the woman who protested overmuch, from th

o near akin that on grave and silent days they seemed to need each other's greetings. He stood beside her, and looked silently down at her face with a little sense of thankfulnes

, "what is it?" Then, with sudden dread, she

swered; "but I shall be able to tell

roperly in the lock. And a strange old bag, made of brown canvas and lined with stuff that looked like bed-ticking, was found to carry the few things that Margaret was to take. It was the one that Hannah herself often used when she went to Petersfie

ething else for you in L

nd the Tabernacle and Exeter Hall. It would be as well for her to see that, in one way or another, people have thought a good deal of religion, though you and others like you put yourselves above i

ive us to the statio

ow what's come to that boy lately. If I send him

the canvas bag on either side of her. Mrs. Vincent stood waving her handkerchief till they were out of sight, then went with a

, where he sat down on a four-legged stool that the boy had painte

l is let?" he was saying. "Some one from

ah. A smile came to her lips when she saw it. "It's the hand that directed the Christ