sh wood was heaped up
in the stove, and the lumber-room became comparatively comfortable.

"Will you play us a tune, Angus?" said Louis Lambert, drawing a stool
between Elsie and Cora and sitting down. "The ladies, you know, never
tire of your music."

"I hef not anything new," replied Angus, with becoming modesty; "but if
the leddies wass willin' to listen to some o' the old tunes, my fuddle
an' I will try what we can do."

"We love the old tunes best," said Cora.

As every one else echoed the sentiment, Angus, nothing loath, began to
discourse sweet sounds, which, to say truth, were indeed very sweet, and
mingled not inharmoniously with the sound of waters which gurgled gently
underneath.

Angus could play Scotch reels in a manner that made dancing almost
unavoidable, but he preferred slow, plaintive music, and on this
occasion indulged his taste to the full, so as to fling a mantle of
quiescence and pathos over the family circle.

Samuel Ravenshaw had retired to a darkish corner to enjoy his pipe, but
the music awoke sad memories. The lost Tony came vividly before him,
and beside his darling boy arose the dark form of the Red Man, whose
mode of taking his revenge had been to him so terrible, all the more
terrible that the nature of the old man was secretive in regard to
sorrow. His joys he was ever ready to share with every one, but his
griefs he smothered in his own breast, and scorned to let his
countenance betray his heart.

No one knew how much he suffered. Perhaps Elsie understood him best.
At all events she had become more earnest and thoughtful in her
attentions after that dark day when her little brother was spirited
away. Leaving Lambert to Cora, she went over to her father, sat down
beside him, and, laying her head upon his shoulder, listened with a sort
of melancholy pleasure to the sweet strains of the violin.

They were suddenly and rudely awakened from this state of quiescence by
a blinding flash of lightning, followed almost instantaneously by a
tremendous clap of thunder which sounded like colliding worlds overhead,
and then rolled away in deep mutterings of discontent. This was
repeated at short intervals, then the rain and hail came down in
torrents, and the wind rose so that soon the waves began to beat
violently on the house. The day which had begun so calmly ended in
furious storm--emblematic of many a day in every human life.

Seated there with feelings of awe and anxiety, the