on his own palm, and eyed it with dreamy tenderness. "So
this is the hand that hath solaced my loneliness," said he: "a hand fair
as that angelical face, and sweet as the kind heart that doeth good by
stealth."

Then, forgetting for a moment, as lofty spirits will, the difference
between _meum_ and _tuum_, he put the little glove in his bosom, and
paced thoughtfully home through the woods, that were separated from the
grove only by one meadow: and so he missed the owner of the glove, for
she had returned home while he was meditating in her favorite haunt.

* * * * *

Leonard, amongst his other accomplishments, could draw and paint with no
mean skill. In one of those hours that used to be of melancholy, but now
were hours of dreamy complacency, he took out his pencils and endeavored
to sketch the inspired face that he had learned to preach to, and now to
dwell on with gratitude.

Clearly as he saw it before him, he could not reproduce it to his own
satisfaction. After many failures he got very near the mark: yet still
something was wanting.

Then, as a last resource, he actually took his sketch to church with
him, and in preaching made certain pauses, and, with a very few touches,
perfected the likeness; then, on his return home, threw himself on his
knees and prayed forgiveness of God with many sighs and tears, and hid
the sacrilegious drawing out of his own sight.

Two days after, he was at work coloring it; and the hours flew by like
minutes, as he laid the mellow, melting tints on with infinite care and
delicacy. _Labor ipse voluptas._

* * * * *

Mrs. Gaunt heard Leonard had called on her in person. She was pleased at
that, and it encouraged her to carry out her whole design.

Accordingly, one afternoon, when she knew Leonard would be at vespers,
she sent on a loaded pony-cart, and followed it on horseback.

Then it was all hurry-skurry with Betty and her, to get their dark deeds
done before their victim's return.

These good creatures set the mirror opposite the flowery window, and so
made the room a very bower. They fixed a magnificent crucifix of ivory
and gold over the mantel-piece, and they took away his hassock of rushes
and substituted a _prie-dieu_ of rich crimson velvet. All that remained
was to put their blue cover, with its golden cross, on the table. To do
this, however, they had to remove the priest's papers and things: they
were