r by finding every one willing to let the marriage
take place whenever he pleased. There were various conferences in the
dressing-room, and Guy and Amy both had burning faces when they came
down to dinner. Laura beheld them with a throbbing heart, while she
mechanically talked to Dr. Mayerne, as if nothing was going on. She
was glad there was no singing that evening, for she felt incapable of
joining; and when at night Charles and his father talked of sitting up
to write to Philip, the misery was such that she had no relief till she
had shut herself in her room, to bear or to crush the suffering as best
she might.

She was still sitting helpless in her wretchedness when Amy knocked
at the door, and came in glowing with blushes and smiles, though her
eyelashes were dewy with tears.

'Laura, dearest! if you would not be so very unhappy! I wish I knew what
to do for you.'

Laura laid her head on her shoulder, and cried. It was a great comfort,
little as Amy could understand her trouble. Amy kissed her, soothed her
caressingly, cried too, and said, in broken sentences, how often they
would be together, and how comfortable it was that Charlie was so much
better, and Charlotte quite a companion.

'Then you have fixed the day?' whispered Laura, at last.

'The Tuesday in Whitsun-week,' returned Amy, resting her forehead on
Laura's shoulder. 'They all thought it right.'

Laura flung her arms round her, and wept too much to speak.

'Dear, dear Laura!' said Amy, after a time, 'it is very kind of you,
but--'

'Oh, Amy! you don't know. You must not think so much better of me than
I deserve. It is not only--No, I would not be so selfish, if but--but--'
Never had her self-command so given way.

'Ah! you are unhappy about Philip,' said Amy; and Laura, alarmed lest
she might have betrayed him, started, and tried to recover herself;
but she saw Amy was quite unsuspicious, and the relief from this fright
helped her through what her sister was saying,--'Yes, you, who were so
fond of him, must be vexed at this unkindness on his part.'

'I am sure it is his real wish for your good,' murmured Laura.

'I dare say!' said Amy, with displeasure. Then changing her tone, 'I beg
your pardon, dear Laura, but I don't think I can quite bear to hear any
one but Guy defend him.'

'It is very generous.'

'Oh, is not it, Laura? and he says he is so grieved to see us turned
against Philip, after being so fond of him; he says it makes him fee