half
open door, and following Agnes by the rustle of her dress, paused in the
chamber she had designated, reluctant to enter the room beyond; for he
saw at a glance that the bed which stood at one end was occupied. A
white hand fell over the side, working nervously among the folds of the
counterpane, as if the person who lay there was awake and ill at ease.

Breathless with emotions which crowded fast and painfully upon him, the
young man sunk into a chair, and covering his face with both hands,
strove thus to gain some portion of self-control; but the first tone of
Lina's voice set him to trembling from head to foot, and it was a moment
before he could see objects distinctly enough to recognize her in her
white robe and among those snowy pillows.

"So you have come at last," she said, rising on one elbow and holding
out her hand to Agnes, with a look of eager delight, which flushed her
cheeks and kindled her blue eyes with a wild brilliancy the young man
had never seen in them before; "tell me, oh, tell me how they all
are--my dear, dear mamma, is she well? does she pine about my
absence--does she talk of me?"

"Mrs. Harrington is grieved and very anxious," said Agnes Barker,
gently, "why did you leave them so abruptly, Miss French?"

"I could not help leaving them. It was time. My presence there was sure
to bring trouble and--and--don't ask me about it. Let me rest. Don't you
understand that it has nearly killed me. It was great love that drove me
away--nothing else. Still I did not mean to go just then. A few days
would not have made so much difference, and they would have been heaven
to me; oh, such heaven, such heaven, you cannot guess how precious every
moment was at the last!"

"But why did you send for me?" questioned Agnes, gently. "Is it that you
wish to go back?"

"Go back!" cried the poor girl, starting up with a flush of wild delight
that faded away in an instant; "oh why did you say this cruel thing? It
is too late--it is impossible; I can never go back, never, never,
never!"

Lina fell back upon her pillows, and began to moan piteously, but made a
brave attempt to stifle her sobs on the pillow.

"No, no, I did not send to you with that hope, only it was so hard to
sit in this room day after day and hear nothing--not even that they
hated me. I think that would have been better than this dull
uncertainty. I only wanted to hear just one little word; my poor heart
has asked for it so long, and now y