pered to him to
come to me--to come to me. And he came."

The cry the girl gave, as she covered her face with her hands and
dropped back into her chair, was very pitiful.

"He came to me--but only one step--one little step, Phyllis; then there
came before his eyes a vision of your face--he felt your hand--cool as
a lily--upon his wrist--he heard your voice speaking into his ear; he
turned and fled--fled through that window--fled from the demon that had
taken possession of this room--I said so to you."

"Thank God--oh, Ella, thank God!"

"That is my cry--thank God--thank God; and yet--and yet--God help me!
I feel ready to throw myself at your feet and say 'Give him back to me!
Give him back to me!'"

She had stood with her hands clasped above her head at her first
utterance of that imploration--"Give him back to me!" Then she threw
herself on her knees and passionately caught both the girl's hands in
her own, crying, "Give him back to me!"

Phyllis flung her arms about her neck, and bowed her own head down to
the shoulder of the woman whom she loved and pitied.

And then----

Then through the silence of the house--the hour was almost
midnight--there sounded the loud and continuous ringing of a bell.

It was only the usual visitors' bell of the house; but its effect at
that hour was startling--shocking!

The two women were on their feet, waiting in silence, but with wildly
beating hearts, for what was coming--they felt that something terrible
was coming. The bell had an ominous jangle. They heard the footsteps of
the one servant who remained up to put out the lights, going to answer
the summons of the bell--they heard a man's voice speaking in a low tone
in the hall--they heard a man's steps approach the door of their room.
The door opened, and Mr. Ayrton appeared before them.

He closed the door slowly, and stood there staring not at his daughter,
but at Ella Linton. On his face was an expression that Phyllis had never
seen on it before. It frightened her. She could not speak.

He stood there, with his eyes fixed upon Ella Linton--rigid--silent as a
figure that symbolizes Death.

The silence became appalling.

"For God's sake speak, if you are living!" cried Ella in a whisper
tremulous with terror.

He did not speak--he stood there, staring at her.

"What does he mean? What does he mean?" said the woman, after another
dreadful pause. "Why does he stand there, Phyllis, staring at
me? Why----Oh, my God