he
dear tender hands and lips that had never failed to caress away her
childish griefs. At first, the strange broad lines of shadowy light in
the gloom were all he could see, but one ray tinged with paly light a
plaited tress, which could only be Clara's flaxen hair.

She had flung herself, crouching in a heap, on the floor, never
stirring, so that he almost feared she had fainted; and, kneeling on
one knee beside her, spoke soothingly: 'My poor little dear Clary, this
is the worst of all, but you know it was not Jem who spoke. It was
only prejudice and temper. He is not himself.'

The dim light seemed to encourage Clara to lift her head to listen to
the kind words. 'Was I so very wrong?' she murmured; 'you know I never
thought of that! Will he forgive me, and let me come home? But, oh,
granny! and what is to become of my uncle?' she ended, with a sound of
misery.

'Not here, not now, Clara--' said Louis; 'She is in perfect peace;
unhurt by our unhappy dissensions; she is with Him who looks at hearts,
who can take away all variance.'

There was a short space of silence, as the two cousins knelt in the
darkened room, in the sunbeams, which seemed as if they could not yet
forsake her who had lived in the light of love.

Presently Louis gave Clara his hand to raise her, and led her into the
adjoining room, also dim, but full of sweet fragrant breezes from the
garden. He seated her on a low couch, and stood by, anxiously watching
her.

'If he had only told me I was wrong!' she sighed.

'He could not tell you so, Clara, for it is not wrong, and he knows it
is not. He will thank you by-and-by for not attending to him, now that
he does not know what he says. He is fairly distracted with this grief
coming upon his home cares.'

'Cares at dear, dear happy home!' cried Clara. 'Never!'

'Ah, Clara! I fear that much comfort went away with dear granny. I
think he is overtasking himself at the school; and three children
within a year may well make a man anxious and oppressed.'

'And I have vexed and disappointed him more!' exclaimed she. 'No
wonder he was angry, and ready to impute anything! But he will believe
me, he will forgive me, he will take me home.'

'It is my belief,' said Fitzjocelyn, in his peculiar way, 'that the
worst injury you could do to James would be to give way to the spirit
that has possessed him.'

'But, Louis,' cried Clara, wildly astonished, 'I must go; I can't have
Jem saying these