ring the outbreak of
the old lady's anger--Lomaque, whose observant eyes had watched
sarcastically the effect of the scene between mother and son on Trudaine
and his sister, was the last to take leave. After he had bowed to Rose
with a certain gentleness in his manner, which contrasted strangely with
his wrinkled, haggard face, he held out his hand to her brother "I did
not take your hand when we sat together on the bench," he said; "may I
take it now?"

Trudaine met his advance courteously, but in silence. "You may alter
your opinion of me one of these days." Adding those words in a whisper,
Monsieur Lomaque bowed once more to the bride and went out.

For a few minutes after the door had closed the brother and sister kept
silence. "Our last night together at home!" That was the thought which
now filled the heart of each. Rose was the first to speak. Hesitating a
little as she approached her brother, she said to him, anxiously:

"I am sorry for what happened with Madame Danville, Louis. Does it make
you think the worse of Charles?"

"I can make allowance for Madame Danville's anger," returned Trudaine,
evasively, "because she spoke from honest conviction."

"Honest?" echoed Rose, sadly, "honest?--ah, Louis! I know you are
thinking disparagingly of Charles's convictions, when you speak so of
his mother's."

Trudaine smiled and shook his head; but she took no notice of the
gesture of denial--only stood looking earnestly and wistfully into his
face. Her eyes began to fill; she suddenly threw her arms round his
neck, and whispered to him: "Oh, Louis, Louis! how I wish I could teach
you to see Charles with my eyes!"

He felt her tears on his cheek as she spoke, and tried to reassure her.

"You shall teach me, Rose--you shall, indeed. Come, come, we must keep
up our spirits, or how are you to look your best to-morrow?"

He unclasped her arms, and led her gently to a chair. At the same moment
there was a knock at the door, and Rose's maid appeared, anxious
to consult her mistress on some of the preparations for the wedding
ceremony. No interruption could have been more welcome just at that
time. It obliged Rose to think of present trifles, and it gave her
brother an excuse for retiring to his study.

He sat down by his desk, doubting and heavy-hearted, and placed the
letter from the Academy of Sciences open before him.

Passing over all the complimentary expressions which it contained, his
eye rested only on these