hing look.

"No, never; Ashleigh is hardly more than a village. How is Stella?"

"Stella! Oh, she's quite well; she was out walking when I left."

Lucy's heart sank at the apparent coldness of her reception. Had
Stella been coming to visit _her_, she would have been watching for
the steamboat for an hour before its arrival!

"Left all well at home?" inquired Edwin. "Oh, I forgot; I suppose
you're all broken up there now?" he added, glancing at her black dress
and crape veil. "Fred's gone to college again, I suppose?"

"Yes," replied Lucy. She could not have added a word more. It was all
she could do to keep back the tears that started to her eyes, as the
sad realization that she had no longer a home came back to her. Edwin,
however, had happily exhausted his stock of conversation for the
present, and Lucy did not try to renew it.

After driving, as it seemed to her, an interminably long way, they
stopped opposite a tall stone house, one of a row all just alike, and
looking very monotonous and sombre to Lucy's eyes, accustomed to the
variety of the Ashleigh houses.

Light gleamed already through the hall-door, which was speedily
opened; and the next moment Stella, looking as pretty as ever, rushed
down the wide staircase, and met her cousin with an affectionate
embrace.

"Mamma, here's Lucy," she said as she led the way up the staircase. At
its head stood a lady, who reminded Lucy strongly of the pictures of
her dear mother, except that there was the difference of expression
between a worldly and an unworldly character. Mrs. Brooke never had
had--perhaps now never could have--the pure spiritual beauty which had
been Mrs. Raymond's chief charm; but she was a graceful,
stylish-looking woman, rather languid and unenergetic in appearance,
as she was in character. Her kiss was affectionate, as she told Lucy
that she was very glad to see her, and that she reminded her a little
of her poor mother; "though you're much more like your papa," she
added.

"And here are Ada and Sophy, just in time," exclaimed Stella, as two
young ladies, very fashionably attired in walking dress, ascended the
stairs and were duly introduced. Ada, who was the smaller of the two,
resembled her mother and Stella, with all their softness and winning
grace of manner. Sophy was a tall, handsome girl, with a somewhat
haughty air, and her greeting was colder and more dignified. She
suggested that Stella should take her cousin at once to her room,