ir deceitful tongues.'

At this juncture I issued from my retreat, and smiling on Mr. Grimsby as
I passed, left the room and went out in search of Arthur. Having seen
him bend his course towards the shrubbery, I followed him thither, and
found him just entering the shadowy walk. I was so light of heart, so
overflowing with affection, that I sprang upon him and clasped him in my
arms. This startling conduct had a singular effect upon him: first, he
murmured, 'Bless you, darling!' and returned my close embrace with a
fervour like old times, and then he started, and, in a tone of absolute
terror, exclaimed, 'Helen! what the devil is this?' and I saw, by the
faint light gleaming through the overshadowing tree, that he was
positively pale with the shock.

How strange that the instinctive impulse of affection should come first,
and then the shock of the surprise! It shows, at least, that the
affection is genuine: he is not sick of me yet.

'I startled you, Arthur,' said I, laughing in my glee. 'How nervous you
are!'

'What the deuce did you do it for?' cried he, quite testily, extricating
himself from my arms, and wiping his forehead with his handkerchief. 'Go
back, Helen--go back directly! You'll get your death of cold!'

'I won't, till I've told you what I came for. They are blaming you,
Arthur, for your temperance and sobriety, and I'm come to thank you for
it. They say it is all "these cursed women," and that we are the bane of
the world; but don't let them laugh or grumble you out of your good
resolutions, or your affection for me.'

He laughed. I squeezed him in my arms again, and cried in tearful
earnest, 'Do, do persevere! and I'll love you better than ever I did
before!'

'Well, well, I will!' said he, hastily kissing me. 'There, now, go. You
mad creature, how could you come out in your light evening dress this
chill autumn night?'

'It is a glorious night,' said I.

'It is a night that will give you your death, in another minute. Run
away, do!'

'Do you see my death among those trees, Arthur?' said I, for he was
gazing intently at the shrubs, as if he saw it coming, and I was
reluctant to leave him, in my new-found happiness and revival of hope and
love. But he grew angry at my delay, so I kissed him and ran back to the
house.

I was in such a good humour that night: Milicent told me I was the life
of the party, and whispered she had never seen me so brilliant.
Certainly, I talked enough