.

"Yes. A young woman with a fair complexion and deep blue eyes."

Marvel looked up quickly into the face of the attendant, while a
flush came into his cheeks.

"She was a slender young girl, with light hair, and her face was
pale, as from trouble."

"Agnes! Agnes!" exclaimed Marvel, rising up. "But, no, no," he
added, mournfully, sinking back again upon the bed; "that cannot be.
I left her far away over the wide ocean."

"Will you write?" said the nurse after some moments.

The invalid, without unclosing his eyes, slowly shook his head. A
little while the attendant lingered in his room, and then retired.

"Dear, dear Agnes!" murmured Edward Marvel, closing his eyes, and
letting his thoughts go, swift-winged, across the billow sea. "Shall
I never look on your sweet face again? Never feel your light arms
about my neck, or your breath warm on my cheek? Oh, that I had never
left you! Heaven give thee strength to bear the trouble in store!"

For many minutes he lay thus, alone, with his eyes closed, in sad
self-communion. Then he heard the door open and close softly; but he
did not look up. His thoughts were far, far away. Light feet
approached quickly; but he scarcely heeded them. A form bent over
him; but his eyes remained shut, nor did he open them until warm
lips were pressed against his own, and a low voice, thrilling
through his whole being, said--

"Edward!"

"Agnes!" was his quick response, while his arms were thrown eagerly
around the neck of his wife, "Agnes! Agnes! Have I awakened from a
fearful dream?"

Yes, it was indeed her of whom he had been thinking. The moment she
received his letter, informing her that he had left for the United
States, she resolved to follow him in the next steamer that sailed.
This purpose she immediately avowed to her parents. At first, they
would not listen to her; but, finding that she would, most probably,
elude their vigilance, and get away in spite of all efforts to
prevent her, they deemed it more wise and prudent to provide her
with everything necessary for the voyage, and to place her in the
care of the captain of the steamship in which she was to go. In New
York they had friends, to whom they gave her letters fully
explanatory of her mission, and earnestly commending her to their
care and protection.

Two weeks before the ship in which Edward Marvel sailed reached her
destination, Agnes was in New York. Before her departure, she had
sought, but in vain, to di