-a brother's kiss!"

Sybil made a gesture of scorn and disgust.

"If I were not past laughing, I should have to laugh now," she said.

"And you will not believe this?"

She shook her head.

"And you will not be reconciled to this injured young stranger?"

"I! I am a lady--'or long have dreamed so,'" answered Sybil, haughtily.
"At least the daughter of an honest mother. And I will not even permit
such a woman as that to live under the same roof with me another day.
She leaves in the morning."

"The house is yours! You must do as you please! But this I tell you:
that in the same hour which sees that poor and friendless young creature
driven from the shelter of this roof, I leave it too, and leave it for
ever."

If Lyon Berners really meant this, or thought to bring his fiery-hearted
wife to terms by the threat, he was mistaken in her character.

"Oh, go!" she answered bitterly--"go! I _will_ not harbor _her_. And why
should I seek to detain you? Your heart has left me already; why should
I wish to retain its empty case? Go as soon as you like, Lyon Berners.
Good-night, and--good-bye," she said, and with a wave of her hand she
passed from the room.

He was mad to have spoken as he did; madder still to let her leave him
so! how mad, he was soon to learn.

CHAPTER XIX.

SWOOPING DOWN.

Twice it called, so loudly called
With horrid strength beyond the pitch of nature;
And murder! murder! was the dreadful cry.
A third time it returned with feeble strength,
But o' the sudden ceased; as though the words
Were smothered rudely in the grappled throat.
And all was still again, save the wild blast
Which at a distance growled--
Oh, it will never from the heart depart!
That dreadful cry all in the instant stilled.--BAILLIE.

Lyon Berners remained walking up and down the room some time longer. The
lights were all out, and the servants gone to bed. Yet still he
continued to pace up and down the parlor floor, until suddenly piercing
shrieks smote his ear.

In great terror he started forward and instinctively rushed towards
Rosa's room, when the door was suddenly thrown open by Rosa herself,
pale, bleeding from a wound in her breast.

"Great Heaven! What is this?" he cried, as, aghast with amazement and
sorrow, he supported the gh