ld not have disturbed
your pleasant reveries."

Some moments elapsed, ere Fanny could venture a reply. She feared to
trust her voice, lest more should be betrayed than she wished any
one to know. Seeing how much his presence disturbed her, Mr. Allison
stepped back a pace or two, saying, as he did so, "I was only
passing, my child; and will keep on my way. I regret having startled
you by my sudden appearance."

He was about retiring, when Fanny, who felt that her manner must
strike Mr. Allison as very singular, made a more earnest effort to
regain her self-possession, and said, with a forced smile:

"Don't speak of intrusion; Mr. Allison. Your sudden coming did
startle me. But that is past."

Mr. Allison, who had partly turned away, now advanced toward Fanny,
and, taking her hand, looked down into her face, from which the
crimson flush had not yet retired, with an expression of tender
regard.

"Your father is still absent, I believe?" said he.

"Yes, sir."

"He will be home soon."

"We hope so. His visit to New York was unexpected."

"And you therefore feel his absence the more."

"Oh, yes," replied Fanny, now regaining her usual tone of voice and
easy address; "and it seems impossible for us to be reconciled to
the fact."

"Few men are at home more than your father," remarked Mr. Allison.
"His world, it might be said, is included in the circle of his
beloved ones."

"And I hope it will always be so."

Mr. Allison looked more earnestly into the young maiden's face. He
did not clearly understand the meaning of this sentence, for, in the
low tones that gave it utterance, there seemed to his ear a prophecy
of change. Then he remembered his recent conversation with her
father, and light broke in upon his mind. The absence of Mr.
Markland had, in all probability, following the restless,
dissatisfied state, which all had observed, already awakened the
concern of his family, lest it should prove only the beginning of
longer periods of absence.

"Business called your father to New York," said Mr. Allison.

"Yes; so he wrote home to mother. He went to the city in the
morning, and we expected him back as usual in the evening, but he
sent a note by the coachman, saying that letters just received made
it necessary for him to go on to New York immediately."

"He is about entering into business again, I presume."

"Oh, I hope not!" replied Fanny.

Mr. Allison remained silent for some moments, and then said--