nd asking how she ever expected to
walk home in such dilapidated things.

"I shall certainly have to carry you," he said, "or your blistered
feet will ever more be thrust forward as a reason why you cannot be my
deaconess."

He seemed to be in unusual spirits that afternoon, and the party went
gaily on, Anna keeping a watchful care over Lucy, picking out the
smoothest places and passing her arm around her slender waist as they
were going up a hill.

"I think it would be better if you both leaned on me," the rector
said, offering each an arm, and apologizing for not having thought to
do so before.

"I do not need it, thank you, but Miss Harcourt does. I fear she is
very tired," said Anna, pointing to Lucy's face, which was so white
and ghastly; so like the face seen once before in Venice, that,
without another word, Arthur took the tired girl in his strong arms
and carried her safely to the summit of the hill.

"Please put me down; I can walk now," Lucy pleaded; but Arthur felt
the rapid beatings of her heart, and kept her in his arms until they
reached Prospect Hill, where Mrs. Meredith was anxiously awaiting
their return, her brow clouding with distrust when she saw Mr.
Leighton, for she was constantly fearing lest her guilty secret should
be exposed.

"I'll leave Hanover this very week, and so remove her from danger,"
she thought as she arose to say good-night.

"Just wait a minute, please. There's something I want to say to Miss
Ruthven," Lucy cried, and, leading Anna to her own room, she knelt
down by her side, and, looking up in her face, began--"There's one
question I wish to ask, and you must answer me truly. It is rude and
inquisitive, perhaps, but tell me--has Arthur--ever--ever--"

Anna guessed at what was coming, and, with a gasping sob which Lucy
thought a long-drawn breath, she kissed the pretty parted lips, and
answered:

"No, darling, Arthur never did, and never will, but some time he will
ask you to be his wife. I can see it coming so plain."

Poor Anna! Her heart gave one great throb as she said this, and then
lay like a dead weight in her bosom, while with sparkling eyes and
blushing cheeks, Lucy exclaimed:

"I am so glad--so glad. I have only known you since Sunday, but you
seem like an old friend; and so, you won't mind me telling you that
ever since I first met Arthur among the Alps I have lived in a kind of
ideal world of which he was the center. I am an orphan, you know, and
an hei