that were laid on his shoulders, as,
looking up in his face, the happy wife pleaded silently for one whom
all the world knew was so wronged and so unhappy.

"We will wait a little before we judge. Love, you are a better
Christian than I."

All afternoon they both showed more than courtesy--kindness, to this
woman, at whom, as any one out of our retired household would have
known, and as John did know well--all the world was already pointing
the finger, on account of Mr. Gerard Vermilye. She, on her part, with
her chameleon power of seizing and sunning herself in the delight of
the moment, was in a state of the highest enjoyment. She turned
"shepherdess," fed the poultry with Edwin, pulled off her jewelled
ornaments, and gave them to Walter for playthings; nay, she even washed
off her rouge at the spring, and came in with faint natural roses upon
her faded cheeks. So happy she seemed, so innocently, childishly
happy; that more than once I saw John and Ursula exchange satisfied
looks, rejoicing that they had followed after the divine charity which
"thinketh no evil."

After tea we all turned out, as was our wont on summer evenings; the
children playing about; while the father and mother strolled up and
down the sloping field-path, arm in arm like lovers, or sometimes he
fondly leaning upon her. Thus they would walk and talk together in the
twilight, for hours.

Lady Caroline pointed to them. "Look! Adam and Eve modernized; Baucis
and Philemon when they were young. Bon Dieu! what it is to be young!"

She said this in a gasp, as if wild with terror of the days that were
coming upon her--the dark days.

"People are always young," I answered, "who love one another as these
do."

"Love! what an old-fashioned word. I hate it! It is so--what would
you say in English?--so dechirant. I would not cultivate une grande
passion for the world."

I smiled at the idea of the bond between Mr. and Mrs. Halifax taking
the Frenchified character of "une grande passion."

"But home-love, married love, love among children and at the
fire-side;--you believe in that?"

She turned upon me her beautiful eyes; they had a scared look, like a
bird's driven right into the fowler's net.

"C'est impossible--impossible!"

The word hissed itself out between her shut teeth--"impossible." Then
she walked quickly on, and was her lively self once more.

When the evening closed, and the younger children were gone to bed, she
became