ying her shrunken hand on her brother's
knee, Miss Jane said, hesitatingly,--

"My dear boy, I don't know whether I ought to tell you, and, indeed, I
do not see my way clearly; but you seem so unsuspecting that I think
it is my duty to talk to you."

"Pray come to the point, dear Janet. Your exordium is very tantalizing.
Tell me frankly what disturbs you."

"It pains me to call your attention to a fact that I know cannot fail
to produce annoyance."

He put his arm around her, and, drawing her head to his shoulder,
answered, tenderly,--

"My precious sister, I have seen for some days that you were perplexed
and anxious, but I abstained from questioning you because I felt
assured whenever you deemed it best to confide in me, you would
voluntarily unburden your heart. Now lay all your troubles upon me,
and keep back nothing. Has Salome grieved you?"

"Oh, the child does not intend to grieve me! Ulpian, can't you imagine
what makes her unhappy, and restless, and contrary?"

"She is very wayward, passionate, and obstinate, and any restraint
upon her whims is peculiarly irksome and intolerable to her; but I
believe she is really striving to correct the unfortunate defects in
her character. She evidently dislikes our guests, and this proves a
continual source of disquiet to her; for, while she endeavors to treat
them courteously, I can see that she would be excessively rude if she
dared to indulge her antipathies."

"Do you know why she dislikes Muriel so intensely?"

"No; I cannot even conjecture. Muriel is very amiable and affectionate,
and seems disposed to become very fond of Salome, if she would only
encourage her advances. Can you explain the mystery?"

"If you were not as blind as a mole, or the fish in Mammoth Cave, you
would see that Salome is insanely jealous of your affection for your
ward, and that is the cause of all the trouble."

"It is unreasonable and absurd in her to entertain such feelings; and,
moreover, she has no right to cherish any jealousy towards my ward."

"Unreasonable! Yes, quite true; but did you ever know a woman to be
very reasonable concerning the man she loves?"

Dr. Grey's quiet face flushed, and he rose instantly, looking
incredulous and embarrassed.

"Surely, my dear sister, you do not intend to insinuate, or desire me
to infer, that Salome has any--"

He paused, bit his lip, and walked to the window.

"I mean to say, in plain Anglo-Saxon, and I desire you to understand,