oyage were peculiarly painful to the unhappy
wife, whose lips never unclosed upon the topic that engrossed her
thoughts, and soon after their arrival her physician advised a trip
to Florida or Cuba, until the rigour of the winter had ended, as an
obstinate cough again aroused fears of consumption.

To accompany her mother, Regina postponed her marriage until June,
and notwithstanding Mr. Palma's avowed dissatisfaction and earnest
protest, spent the winter and spring in the West Indies. Mrs.
Laurance gradually regained health, but not cheerfulness, and in May,
when they returned to New York, preparations were made for the
wedding, which in deference to her mother's feelings, Regina desired
should be very quiet.

Her husband's estate had long been in Mrs. Laurance's possession, and
the stately mansion had been repaired and refurnished, awaiting its
owner; but she shrank with a shiver from the mention of the place,
announcing her intention to visit it no more, until she was laid to
rest in the proud family tomb, whither the remains of General Rene
Laurance had already been removed.

In accordance with her daughter's wishes, she had taken for the
summer a villa on the Hudson, only a short distance from the city,
and a week before the day appointed for the marriage they took
possession of their country home.

As the time rapidly approached, Mrs. Laurance's depression of spirits
seemed to increase; she jealously counted the hours that remained,
and her sad eyes rested with fateful foreboding on her daughter's
happy countenance.

On the afternoon previous to the wedding, the mother sat on the
verandah overlooking the velvet lawn that stretched between the house
and the river. The sun was setting, and the rich red glow rested upon
the crest of distant hills, and smote the sails of two vessels
gliding close to the opposite shore.

On the stone step sat Regina, her head leaning against her mother's
knee, her hand half buried in the snowy locks of Hero, who crouched
at her side.

"Mrs. Palma and Uncle Orme will not arrive until noon; but Olga comes
early to-morrow; and, mother, I know you will be glad to learn that
at last her brother has persuaded her to abandon her intention of
joining the----"

She did not complete the sentence, for glancing up, she saw that Mrs.
Laurance's melancholy eyes were fixed on the crimson sky and purpling
hills far away, and she knew that her thoughts were haunting grey,
ashy crypts of the