ng as she put the question.

"No," in the same quiet tones that always soothed her agitation, "for
I believe the evil spirit is exorcised by much prayer and fasting;
and, darling, even if it should not be so, I should not be afraid
then, for I know better how to deal with it and you; no angry spirit
could live in my arms, and I would exorcise it thus"--touching her
lips. "No, have faith in me, as I have faith in you, and all will be
well." And so he comforted her.

There was a great sensation in the boarding-house at W---- when news
of the approaching wedding was made known. Captain Maudsley triumphed
openly over Miss Bellagrove. "I told you the Italian beauty was
engaged to the blind Englishman," he said to her; "but after all, she
is only half an Italian--her mother was a Florentine, and her father
was English. Fergusson told me all about it--he is to marry them; and
old Doctor Egan is to give her away. There is some romantic story
belonging to them. I think he has been in love with her from a child.
Well, Heaven gives nuts to those who have no teeth," grumbled the
young officer, thinking of the bridegroom's blindness.

Crystal remained very quietly in the corner house during the rest of
the week. Raby spent most of his time with her. On the eve of her
wedding she wrote a little note to Fern, telling her of her intended
marriage.

"I am very happy," she wrote; "but there are some kinds of
happiness too deep for utterance. When I think of the new life
that awaits me to-morrow, an overwhelming sense of
unworthiness seems to crush me to the ground; to think that I
shall be Raby's wife--that I shall be permitted to dedicate my
whole life to his dear service. I have told you a little about
him, but you will never know what he is really; I sometimes
pray that my love may not be idolatry. When he brings me to
the Grange--that dear home of my childhood, you must come to
me, and your mother also. Raby says he loves you both for your
goodness to me; he has promised that you shall be our first
guests.

"Do you know our dear Margaret will not be long with us? She
intends to join a community in the East End of London, and to
devote herself for the remainder of her life to the service of
the poor. I could not help crying a little when she told me
this; but she only smiled and said that she was not unhappy.
And yet she loved Hugh Redmond. I talked to Raby