age to her ladyship--and the bride. I shall see
you before I leave.'

'Leave! Why, where are you thinking of going?'

'To India.'

'To India!' said Julia, starting round as he spoke.

'To India!' said I, in amazement.

He nodded, and turning quickly round, left the room.

I hastened after him with all my speed, and dashing downstairs was
making for the _porte cochere_, when a shadow beside the doorway caught
my eye. I stopped. It was O'Grady; he was leaning against the wall,
his head buried in his hands. A horrible doubt shot through my heart.
I dared not dwell upon it; but rushing towards him, I called him by his
name. He turned quickly round, while a fierce, wild look glistened in
his eyes.

'Not now, Hinton, not now!' said he, motioning me away with his hand;
and then, as a cold shudder passed over him, he drew his hand across
his face, and added in a lower tone, 'I never thought to have betrayed
myself thus. Good-bye, my dear fellow, good-bye! It were better we
shouldn't meet again.'

'My dearest, best friend! I never dreamed that the brightest hour of my
life was to throw this gloom over your heart.'

'Yes, Jack,' said he, in a voice low and broken, 'from the first hour I
saw her I loved her. The cold manner she maintained towards me at your
father's house----'

'In my father's house! What do you mean?'

'When in London, I speak of--when I joined first--your cousin--'

'My cousin!'

'Yes, Lady Julia. Are you so impatient to call her wife that you will
not remember her as cousin?'

'Call her wife! My dear boy, you're raving. It's Louisa Bellew!'

'What! Is it Miss Bellew you are to marry?'

'To be sure----'

But I could not finish the sentence, as O'Grady fell upon my shoulder,
and his strong frame was convulsed with emotion.

In an instant, however, I tore myself away; and calling out, 'Wait for
me, O'Grady!' I rushed upstairs, peeped hastily into the drawing-room,
and then hurrying along the corridor opened a door at the end. The
blinds of the windows were down, and the room so dark that I could
scarcely perceive if any one were there had not my steps been guided by
a low sob which I heard issue from the end of the sofa.

'Julia,' said I, rushing forward--'Julia, my dearest cousin! this is no
time to deceive ourselves. He loves you--loved you from the first hour
he met you. Let me have but one word. Can he, dare he hope that you are
not indifferent to him? Let him but see you, but speak to