etty eyes. The consciousness that Ned
looked to her for consolation roused a natural womanly tenderness in her
heart, and nothing could have been sweeter than her behaviour on the day
of his arrival. As for Ned himself, fresh from the grim northern town,
with the everlasting clang of machinery sounding in his ears, it seemed
a very foretaste of paradise to find himself in the fragrant southern
garden, seated beneath the shade of the trees, with Lilias's lovely face
smiling upon him. He told her as much in lover-like fashion, and she
protested modestly, and smiled more angelically than ever for the rest
of the evening, in order to live up to her reputation.

"We won't talk about disagreeable things to-night! We will just be
happy!" she said coaxingly; and Ned assented, only too thankful to
banish anxiety for a few hours, and to talk sweet nothings among the
flowers. Lilias was the most delightful plaything in the world, and
queened it over him with such amusing little airs of sovereignty, that
he asked nothing better than to play the part of adoring slave. So the
first evening passed happily enough; but the next day brought the lovers
face to face with reality. When a great anxiety is tugging at a man's
heart, it is not possible to banish it for more than a few hours at a
time, and Ned yearned for his sweetheart's sympathy, and felt a
corresponding chilling of heart when she persistently checked his
confidences, and tried to continue the playful banter of the first
interview. He could not respond, could not laugh and jest and pay
compliments; the cloud of coming disaster seemed to blot out the
sunshine, and the light words jarred upon his ears.

"It is no use, dear; I am sorry to be such a doleful companion, but I
cannot pretend to be cheerful. You must bear with me, for my anxiety is
on your account even more than my own," he told the girl tenderly. "I
cannot bear to think of bringing anxiety upon you, when I had hoped
instead to have shielded you from it all your life; but trouble is said
to draw hearts more closely together, and if we stand shoulder to
shoulder now we may find unexpected sweetness in the midst of our
trial."

He looked at Lilias entreatingly, and she gave a forced little smile.

"I should like to know exactly what the trial is, Ned. You have said a
good deal about being unhappy in your letters, but nothing really
definite. I can understand that, after being your own master, it is
tryin