ery sound of which made her shudder.

At length the darkness and the solitude seemed to become insupportable
to her; she started forward and opened the door, with the intention of
fleeing from the room. It had suddenly become odious to her. She took
one step into the hall and met Elizabeth face to face. The woman saw the
letter which Elsie held in her hand, caught the recoiling gesture which
she instinctively made, then for an instant they both stood still,
staring at each other.

Suddenly Elizabeth caught Elsie's hand, drew her back into the library,
and, once there, closed and locked the door.

For more than an hour the pair were alone in that darkened apartment.
When at last they emerged from it they were both deadly white, and
exhausted as if by passionate weeping. Not a word was spoken between
them, but they turned away from each other like ghosts that had no
resting-place on earth.

CHAPTER XXI.

FIRE AND WATER.

When North left Mrs. Mellen in the woods he took a moment for
consideration, and then walked quickly towards the shore tavern. As he
turned a point which led from Piney Point to the bluff which overhung
it, his servant, the young mulatto, who had spent most of the season at
this retreat, came to meet him with a letter in his hand.

"It had a foreign postmark," said the man; "so I started to meet you the
moment it came in, according to orders."

"Right, boy, you are very right," cried North, tearing at the envelope
as a hawk rends its prey; "never let a scrap of writing from abroad rest
a moment out of my hands."

The man read the letter--only a few lines--and his hands shook till the
paper rattled again.

"Boy--boy, what day of the month is this?" he questioned, trying to fold
the letter, which he crushed instead.

"The tenth, sir."

North went into a mental calculation, then the cloud on his face broke
away and he almost shouted:

"It is in time--it is in time! Any other letters?"

"One for the Cove. Shall I slip it into the old man's parcel or would
you rather----"

"Give it to me," said North, cutting the servant short, and snatching at
the letter, which was in Mr. Mellen's handwriting and bore the
California postmark.

He was too eager for caution, and broke the seal recklessly.

"He, too--he coming, too! By Jove, this is glorious sport! Made his will
before sailing, ha!--provident man!--one half to his dear wife, the
other to his darling sister, Elsie Mellen. A safe pre