lung into the
pulseless hush of eternity, and was to be left alone there forever, with
my dreary meditations for company and punishment."

CHAPTER LII.

GENERAL HARRINGTON RETURNS WITH ZILLAH.

"Of the remainder of that week, while we were waiting for the General's
return, there are no events to record. The time passed quietly enough;
Mrs. Harrington, in spite of her pining somewhat over her husband's
unexpectedly prolonged absence, improved in health every day. It was a
great pleasure to notice how each morning she seemed stronger and
brighter, taking a new interest in everything that went on about her,
and so cheerful and kind that I grew to love her very dearly.

"I suppose I may as well own the truth; Lucy Eaton was a great trial to
me. I have no doubt that I was cross and irritable. I used to reproach
myself twenty times each day, for being so captious and unreasonable;
but really, that pretty, childish creature fretted me almost beyond all
powers of endurance.

"I got so weary of hearing about dress, that I felt that I should never
care again whether I had anything pretty or not. As for young men, and
marriage, and the pleasures of society, I heard them discussed until I
wished that neither of them had ever had an existence.

"But I have no doubt it was all greatly owing to the state of feeling
into which I had fallen, and I knew it was wrong, but at that time I
could not exercise the least control over myself.

"At last the General returned, bringing Zillah with him. I was out of
the room when he arrived, so that I did not witness the meeting between
him and his wife; but when I joined them soon after, one glance at Mrs.
Harrington's face was sufficient to show how happy his return had made
her.

"The General greeted me in his usual cordial, gallant manner. I was very
glad to have him with us once more.

"'James cannot know you have come,' Mrs. Harrington said, 'or he would
be here.'

"'He is quite well, I hope,' the General said.

"'Quite. Oh dear, how glad I am to have you back.'

"'You may know by your own pleasure, how glad I am to return,' he
answered. 'Nothing would have induced me to go but that I felt it right.
I did not approve--I may speak before my dear ward,--I thought James
quite too young to be entrusted with the business of bringing back so
pretty a girl as Zillah, even if she was only a servant.'

"'I must send for her,' Mrs. Harrington said. 'Poor thing, she will take
it