he got of her face, and seeing her and watching her
during these few happy days, she knew that she had grown content with
her life, and its work, and that the fever of her heart was healed. And
as the days went on, and she saw Arthur more and more like his father,
in the new earnestness of his thoughts and hopes, and watched Fanny
gentle, and loving, mindful of others, clinging to Graeme, and trusting
and honouring her entirely,--a Fanny as different as could well be
imagined from the vain, exacting little housekeeper, who had so often
excited her indignation, a year ago, she repeated again and again. "It
is coming right with them all."

Another year passed, bringing new cares, and new pleasures, and, to
Arthur and Fanny, the fulfilment of new hopes in the birth of a son. To
Graeme, it brought many longings for the sight of her sister's face,
many half formed plans for going to her, or for bringing her home, but
Arthur's boy was three months old before she saw her sister. Will was
still in Scotland, to stay for another year, at least Harry had been at
home several times since his first sorrowful departure, and now there
was a prospect that he would be at home always. A great change had
taken place in his affairs. The firm of Elphinstone and Company no
longer existed. It was succeeded by one, which bade fair to be as
prosperous, and in time, as highly honoured as it had been, the firm of
Elliott, Millar and Company. Mr Ruthven was still in the business,
that is, he had left in it the capital necessary to its establishment on
a firm basis, but he took no part in the management of its affairs. He
lived in Scotland now, and had done so ever since the death of his wife,
which, had taken place soon after they had reached that country. He had
since succeeded, on the death of his uncle, his father's brother, to the
inheritance of a small estate near his native place, and there, with his
mother and his little daughter, he resided. Either, it was said, his
uncle had made his residence on the place a condition of possession, or
he had grown tired of a life of business, but he, evidently, did not
intend to return to Canada at present; even his half-brother, who deeply
regretted his early withdrawal from active life, and earnestly
remonstrated with him concerning it, knew little about his motives,
except that his health was not so firm as it used to be, and that he had
determined not to engage in business again.

Harry h