me.'

Honor could not be uneasy. She was far too glad at heart for that. The
repentance was proving itself true by its fruits, and who could be
anxious because the gladness of forgiveness overpowered the pain of
contrition?

Her inordinate affection had made her blind and credulous where her
favourite was concerned, so as to lead to his seeming ruin, yet when the
idol throne was overturned, she had learnt to find sufficiency in her
Maker, and to do offices of love without excess. Then after her time of
loneliness, the very darling of her heart had been restored, when it was
safe for her to have him once more; but so changed that he himself
guarded against any recurrence to the old exclusive worship.

CHAPTER XXXIII

But the pine woods waved,
And the white streams raved;
They told me in my need,
That softness and feeling
Were not soul-healing;
And so it was decreed--
That the marvellous flowers of woman's duty
Should grow on the grave of buried beauty.--FABER

Easter was at hand, and immediately after it Mr. Currie was to return to
Canada to superintend the formation of the Grand Ottawa and Superior
line. He and his assistants were hard at work on the specifications,
when a heavy tap and tramp came up the stairs, and Owen Sandbrook stood
before them, leaning on his crutch, and was greeted with joyful
congratulations on being on his legs again.

'Randolf,' he said, hastily, 'Miss Charlecote is waiting in the carriage
to speak to you. Give me your pen.'

'I shall be back in an instant.'

'Time will show. Where are you?--"such sleepers to be--" I see. Down
with you.'

'Yes; never mind hurrying back,' said the engineer; 'we can get this done
without you'--and as the door closed--'and a good deal beside. I hear
you have put it in train.'

'I have every reason to hope so. Does he guess?'

'Not a whit, as far as I can tell. He has been working hard, and
improving himself in his leisure. He would have made a first-rate
engineer. It is really hard to be robbed of two such assistants one
after the other.'

Meanwhile Honor had spent those few moments in trepidation. She had
brought herself to it at last! The lurking sense of injustice had
persuaded her that it was crossing her conscience to withhold the
recognition of her heir, so soon as she had received full evidence of his
claims and his worthiness. Though she had the power, she felt that s