rength, and endurance irresistible. It was beyond belief.

She read over again fragments of his own words. "I took you into my
heart from the first moment I ever saw you;"--"I love you--no man will
ever love you more than I." "Little you think how I would love you,
Agatha!"

Agatha--who a minute before had been pondering mournfully that no one
cared for her--that she was of no use to any one--and that no living
soul would miss her, were her existence blotted out from the face of
earth that very night!

She began to tremble; ay, even though she felt that Nathanael had
judged correctly--that she did not now love him, and probably never
might--still, overwhelmed with the sudden sense of _his_ great love,
she trembled. A strange softness crept over her; and for the second time
that day she yielded to a weakness only drawn from her proud heart by
rare emotions--Agatha wept.

CHAPTER IV.

To say that Agatha Bowen slept but ill that night would be unnecessary;
since there is probably no girl who did not do so after receiving a
first love-letter. And this was indeed her first; for the commonplace
and business-like episode of young Northen had not been beautified by
any such compositions. A second harmless adventure of like kind had
furnished her with a little amusement and some vexation,--but never till
now had her girlish heart been approached by any wooing which she could
instinctively feel was that of real love. It touched her very much; for
a time absorbing all distinct resolutions or intentions in a maze of
pleasant, tender pity, and wonderment not unmixed with fear.

Half the night she lay awake, planning what she should do and say in the
future; writing in her head a dozen imaginary answers to Mr. Harper's
letter, until she recollected that he had expressly stated it required
none. Nevertheless, she thought she must write, if only to tell him that
she did not love him, and that there was not the slightest use in his
hoping to be anything more to her than a friend.

"A friend!" She recoiled at the word, remembering how sorely her pride
and feelings had been wounded by him she once held to be the best friend
she had. She never could hold him as such any more. Her impulsive anger
exaggerated even to wickedness the vanity of a man who fancied
every woman was in love with him. She forgot all Major Harper's good
qualities, his high sense of honour, his unselfish kindheartedness, his
generous, gay spirit She set h