n by birth, rumored to be an excellent scholar,--and he at once
offered him the post he had in view,--that of private secretary at a
salary of 200 pounds per annum. The astonished Neville could not at
first believe in his good fortune, and began to stammer forth his
gratitude with trembling lips and moistening eyes,--but Errington cut
him short by declaring the whole thing settled, and desiring him to
enter on his duties at once. He was forthwith installed in his
position,--a highly enviable one for a man of his dreamy and meditative
turn of mind. To him, literature and music were precious as air and
light, he handled the rare volumes on the Errington book-shelves with
lingering tenderness, and often pored over some difficult manuscript, or
dusty folio till long past midnight, almost forgetful of his griefs in
the enchantment thus engendered. Nor did he lack his supreme comforter,
music,--there was a fine organ at the lower end of the long library, and
seated at his beloved instrument, he wiled away many an hour,--steeping
his soul in the divine and solemn melodies of Palestrina and Pergolesi,
till the cruel sorrow that had darkened his life seemed nothing but a
bad dream, and the face of his wife as he had first known it, fair,
trustful, and plaintive, floated before his eyes unchanged, and arousing
in him the old foolish throbbing emotions of rapture and passion that
had gladdened the bygone days.

He never lost the hope of meeting her again, and from time to time he
renewed his search for her, though all uselessly--he studied the daily
papers with an almost morbid anxiety lest he should see the notice of
her death--and he would even await each post with a heart beating more
rapidly than usual, in case there should be some letter from her,
imploring forgiveness, explaining everything, and summoning him once
more to her side. He found a true and keenly sympathizing friend in Sir
Philip, to whom he became profoundly attached,--to satisfy his wishes,
to forward his interests, to attend to his affairs with punctilious
exactitude--all this gave Neville the supremest happiness. He felt some
slight doubt and anxiety, when he first received the sudden announcement
of his patron's marriage,--but all forebodings as to the character and
disposition of the new Lady Bruce-Errington fled like mist before
sunshine, when he saw Thelma's fair face and felt her friendly
hand-clasp.

Every morning on her way to the breakfast-room, she