he more surprised, only, of
course, did not let her see I had noticed it.

'You have never played that before,' she said brusquely, as she
recovered her composure.

'And I don't know that I could play it again,' I said. 'I never get it
just the same. I was trying to bring out a thought that I am very fond
of.'

'And what thought is that?'

'Do you know a verse like this?

"These surface troubles come and go,
Like rufflings of the sea;
The deeper depth is out of reach
To all, my God, but Thee."

There are two words in Jeremiah that I try and take for my life's
motto: "Dwell deep." I love to bring it out of my violin.'

Miss Rayner smiled. 'I should not have thought there had been much
occasion in your life at present for you to put those words into
practice.'

I was silent. No doubt my small troubles seemed very insignificant to
her who had perhaps seen and gone through far heavier ones herself.

After a little, she said thoughtfully, as she gazed into the glowing
coals before her, 'One sometimes wonders, if certain passages in our
lives were given us again, whether we would act differently; but I am
inclined to think as a rule we should not.' Then, turning to me
abruptly, she said, 'Would you like to hear why I have never married?
I am not ashamed of anything--there is no need why you should not
know--only I do not care to discuss bygone tales too often; so I shall
not expect you to refer to it again. I was engaged to Charles
Ratcliffe for six years. He, Colonel Hawkes, and I were always
together; we hunted, danced, and amused ourselves as the rest of the
world. Charlie--Mr. Ratcliffe--was then a struggling young barrister,
and we waited for more prosperous times. About a year before we were
to have been married, he'--she paused and gave a hard little laugh,
'well--he got "converted," as you would express it. I tried to laugh
him out of it at first, but it was of no use; he gradually withdrew
from amusements, and tried to make me do the same. We pulled together
a little while longer, and then I saw it wouldn't do, and I told him
so. "How can two walk together, except they be agreed?" There is no
truer verse than that in the Bible. And so we parted, and I have never
seen him from that day to this.'

'I am so sorry!' I murmured, as she paused as abruptly as she commenced.

'Oh, I am not an object of pity, I assure you!' she said, laughing: 'it
was odd running up against Colonel H