paused, and a shiver crept through her stately form; then she
slowly continued, in a tone of indescribable pathos,--

"Once I could have listened to your counsel, for once my soul was full
of holy aims, and my heart as redolent of pure Christian purposes as a
June rose is of perfume; but now,--

'They are past as a slumber that passes,
As the dew of a dawn of old time;
More frail than the shadows on glasses,
More fleet than a wave or a rhyme.'"

Dr. Grey drew her arm through his, and silently led her to the house,
and into the parlor. He noticed that her breathing was quick and
short, and that she sank wearily upon the sofa, as if her strength had
well-nigh failed her.

He untied her bonnet-strings and removed it, and she threw her head
down on the silken cushion, as a spent child might have done.

Taking a vial from his pocket, he dropped a portion of the contents
into a wine-glass, and filled it with sherry wine.

"Mrs. Gerome, drink this for me. It will benefit you."

She swallowed the mixture, and remained quiet for some seconds; then a
singularly scornful smile curved her mouth as she said,--

"You drugged the wine. Well, so be it. Nepenthe or poison are alike
welcome, if they bring me death, or even temporary oblivion."

Katie came in and lighted the lamp, and Dr. Grey sat beside the sofa
and watched the effect of his prescription.

Tired at length of the sober sea and dark gloomy grounds, Salome came
back to the house and stood on the threshold of the parlor door,
looking curiously at the quiet, silent group, and at the pictures on
the walls.

She could see very distinctly the beautiful white face of the mistress
pressed against the blue damask cushion, and clear in outline as she
had once observed it on the background of ocean; and she noticed that
the features were sharper and that the figure was thinner. From the
silvery lamp-light the gray hair seemed to have caught a metallic
lustre on the ripples that ebbed back from the blue-veined temples,
and the woman looked like a marble snow-crowned image, draped in
black.

With one elbow on his knee, and his cheek resting in his hand, Dr.
Grey leaned forward, studying the features turned towards him, and
watching her with almost breathless interest. He was not aware of
Salome's presence, and was unconscious of the strained, troubled gaze,
that she fixed upon him.

The tender love that filled his heart looked out of his grave deep
eyes, w