ing in of Mr. Masters roused her,
and with a sort of start she put away the thought of Evan, and of days
and joys past for ever, and forcibly swung herself back to present
things. People were very well-behaved after her husband came, and she
did her part, she knew, satisfactorily; for she saw his eye now and
then resting on her or meeting hers with the hidden smile in it she had
learned to know. And besides, nothing was ever dull or commonplace
where he was; so even in Mrs. Starling's house and Mrs. Flandin's
presence, the rest of the evening went brightly off. And then, driving
home, through the light of a young moon and over the quiet country,
Diana watched the wonderful calm line where the hill-tops met the sky;
and thought, surely, with the talisman she had just found of heavenly
love and sympathy and strength, she could walk the rest of her way
through life and bear it till the end. Then, by and by, beyond that
dividing line of eternity, there would be bright heaven, instead of the
dusky earth. If only she could prevent Basil from knowing how she felt,
and so losing all peace in life himself. But his peace was so fixed in
heaven, she wondered if anything on earth could destroy it? She would
not try that question.

CHAPTER XXV.

MISS COLLINS' WORK.

It was well for Diana that she had got a talisman of better power than
the world can manufacture. It was well for her, too, that she followed
up earnestly the clue to life which had been given her. If you have a
treasure-house of supplies, and are going to have to get to it in the
dark by and by, it is good to learn the way very well while the light
is there. For weeks Diana gave herself before all other things to the
study of her Bible, and to better understanding of faith's duties and
privileges. In all this, Basil was a great help; and daily his wife
learned more and more to admire and revere the mind and temper of the
man she had married. Reverence would have led surely to love, in such a
nature as Diana's; but Diana's heart was preoccupied. What love could
not do, however, conscience and gratitude did as far as possible.
Nothing that concerned Basil's comfort or honour was uncared for by his
wife. So, among other things, she never intrusted the care of his meals
entirely to Miss Collins; and quite to that lady's discomfiture, would
often come into the kitchen and prepare some nice dish herself, or
superintend the preparation of it. Miss Collins resent