ure in all you did you acted
tenderly and considerately for the best. Perhaps you may be soon going
away from home again, and we may not meet any more. I shall never, never
forget that you were kind to him when he wanted a friend, and that you
have the greatest claim of any one on earth to be gratefully remembered
in my thoughts as long as I live."

The inexpressible tenderness of her voice, trembling a little all the
while she spoke, the pale beauty of her face, the artless candor in her
sad, quiet eyes, so affected me that I could not trust myself to answer
her at first except by gesture. Before I recovered my voice she had
given me her hand once more and had left me.

I never saw her again. The chances and changes of life kept us apart.
When I last heard of her, years and years ago, she was faithful to the
memory of the dead, and was Ada Elmslie still for Alfred Monkton's sake.

THE FIFTH DAY.

STILL cloudy, but no rain to keep our young lady indoors. The paper, as
usual, without interest to _me_.

To-day Owen actually vanquished his difficulties and finished his story.
I numbered it Eight, and threw the corresponding number (as I had done
the day before in Morgan's case) into the china bowl.

Although I could discover no direct evidence against her, I strongly
suspected The Queen of Hearts of tampering with the lots on the fifth
evening, to irritate Morgan by making it his turn to read again, after
the shortest possible interval of repose. However that might be,
the number drawn was certainly Seven, and the story to be read was
consequently the story which my brother had finished only two days
before.

If I had not known that it was part of Morgan's character always to do
exactly the reverse of what might be expected from him, I should have
been surprised at the extraordinary docility he exhibited the moment his
manuscript was placed in his hands.

"My turn again?" he said. "How very satisfactory! I was anxious to
escape from this absurd position of mine as soon as possible, and here
is the opportunity most considerately put into my hands. Look out, all
of you! I won't waste another moment. I mean to begin instantly."

"Do tell me," interposed Jessie, mischievously, "shall I be very much
interested to-night'?'

"Not you!" retorted Morgan. "You will be very much frightened instead.
You hair is uncommonly smooth at the present moment, but it will be all
standing on end before I've done. Don't blame me,