e is coming back."

Richmond Chartley made no reply, but sat gazing straight out through the
uncleaned window, as if her large clear eyes were looking straight away
over the ocean in search of the man she loved.

"Don't, don't, darling; don't look like that," whispered the younger
girl. "Don't think all that again. It's cruel, it's wicked of them to
have said such things. He was too young, and strong, and brave to die."

"Please God, yes!" said Richmond simply, but with a deep heart-stirring
pathos in the tones of her rich voice.

"And one of these days he'll come, dear, like the good prince in the
fairy tale, all rich and handsome, as my darling brother always was, and
marry my own dear Rich, and make her happy again."

"Please God, yes!" said Richmond once more; and this time there was
resignation, and despair so plainly marked that her companion flung her
arms about her neck and began to sob.

"Rich, dear Rich, don't, pray don't, or you'll drive me half mad. I've
all my lessons to give to-day. And my hand will tremble, and I shall be
so unnerved that I can do nothing."

"Janet dear, I try so hard not to despair, but the weary months roll by,
and it is two years now since you have had a line."

"Yes, but what of that? Perhaps he is where there are no post-offices,
or perhaps he is not getting on; and, poor boy, he is too proud to write
till he is doing better. Why, he has only been away four years."

"Four years!" said Richmond sadly; "is it only four years?"

"That's all, dear, though it has seemed like eight, and we will not
despair, even though it is so hard to bear. Why, Rich, I feel sometimes
when I kneel down at night that if he were dead I should know it; he
would not let us go on suffering if it were so."

"Janet dear, I feel sometimes as if it was wrong to have loved him."

"What, dear Mark?"

"Yes."

"Wrong? For shame! How could any girl who knew my darling old Mark as
you did help loving him?"

"But it made him dissatisfied. I was the cause of his going away."

"That foolish thought again! You were not, dear. It would have been
the same if he had loved any girl. He said that he would not ask any
woman to be his wife while he was tied down here without any prospects;
and he went off to make his fortune, as many another brave young
Englishman has gone before."

"But I made him discontented, dear."

"You made him behave nobly. Why, what other man would have said as he
did,