nto her face. No, she could not leave her post, and yet it
would have been nice to see The Grange again, and Richard's friendly
face; he had been so kind to her; and there was Whitefoot, and the dear
dogs, and the lanes would be full of hips and haws. "No, not yet; but I
should like to come again one day."

"Well, well, I will not tease you; bye and bye I will make another
appeal, but if your mother be not well----" She paused, and then
something of the old mischief came into her eyes. "You see I am
improving, Bessie; I am not always trying to get my own way; my goodness
makes mamma quite uneasy. I think she has got it into her head that I
shall die young; all good young people die--in books. No, it was wrong
of me to joke," as a pained look crossed Bessie's face. "Seriously, I am
trying to follow your advice; but, oh! it is such hard work."

"Dear Edna, do you think I do not see the difference in you?"

"Am I different?" she asked eagerly, and a wistful look came into her
lovely eyes. "Richard said the other day how much nicer I was; we are
quite friends, Ritchie and I, now, and I won't let mamma be so hard on
him. He was very kind to me when--when--Neville went away; he tells me
about him sometimes, for once or twice he has seen him in London; but
just fancy, Bessie, he never even asked after me. 'Are your people
well?' That is all he said; but of course he will never forgive me; men
are like that."

"He may not think that you want to be forgiven," returned Bessie.

Edna's color rose.

"He will never know it," she said proudly; but the next moment her tone
changed. "Oh, Bessie, what shall I do? Sometimes I am so miserable that
I hardly know how I am to go on living. I never thought I should miss
Neville like this, but I do--I do."

"Do not think me unkind if I say that I rejoice to hear it; it proves
how deep and real your affection was."

"It was the only real part of me," was the reply. "Now it is too
late, I have discovered it for myself. I never would let myself
think seriously of my engagement. I liked Neville, and I meant to
marry him one day, and that was all I thought about it; but now I
see that the real feeling was there all the time, only choked up
with rubbish, and I am quite sure that I could never care for any
one else in the same way--never--never."

"Poor Edna! it is very hard, and I am so sorry for you."

But as Bessie spoke Christine came back into the room with a small tray
of refreshmen