is
destroyed, and all chance of happiness for me in this life has fled for
ever!"

"What do you mean, my dear Harry?" replied I; "what can you refer to?"

"Have you not thought me very much altered of late?" he continued.

"Since you ask me, I have fancied that illness was beginning to sour
your temper," I replied.

"Illness of mind, not body," he resumed; "for now, when life has lost
all charm for me, I am regaining health and strength apace. You must
have observed with what a jaundiced eye I have regarded everything that
Lawless has said or done; what was the feeling, think you, which has led
me to do so? Jealousy!"

"Jealousy?" exclaimed I, as for the first time the true state of the
case flashed across me--"Oh! Harry, why did you not speak of this
sooner?"

"Why, indeed! because in my blindness I fancied the affection I
entertained for your sister was merely a brother's love, and did not
know, till the chance of losing her for ever opened my eyes effectually,
that she had ~358~~ become so essential to my happiness that life
without her would be a void. If you but knew the agony of mind I endured
while they wore acting that hateful charade last night! I quite shudder
when I think how I felt towards Lawless; I could have slain him where
he stood without a shadow of compunction. No, I must leave this place
without delay; I would not go through what I suffered yesterday again
for anything--I could not bear it."

"Oh! if we had but known this sooner," exclaimed I, "so much might have
been done--I only parted from Lawless five minutes before I met you,
telling him that if Fanny approved of his suit, neither my mother nor
I would offer the slightest opposition. But is it really too late to do
anything? shall I speak to Fanny?"

"Not for worlds!" exclaimed Oaklands impetuously; "do not attempt to
influence her in the slightest degree. If, as my fears suggest, she
really love Lawless, she must never learn that my affection for her has
exceeded that of a brother--never know that from henceforth her image
will stand between me and happiness, and cast its shadow over the whole
future of my life."

He stood for a moment, his hands pressed upon his brow as if to shut out
some object too painful to behold, and then continued abruptly, "Lawless
has proposed, then?"

"He has asked my consent, and his next step will of course be to do so,"
replied I.

"Then my fate will soon be decided," returned Oak-lands. "Now listen