terrible enterprise?"

"He spoke of it, but never told me when."

"Ah! I was sure you knew more about it than the old tutor man. You
always were his little sweetheart before poor little Madam came in
the way, and he would tell you anything near his heart. Could you
not have stopped him?"

"I think not, Lucy; he gave his reasons like a man of weight and
thought, and you see his Honour thinks them sound ones."

"Oh yes; but somehow I cannot fancy our Charley doing anything for
grand, sound, musty reasons, such as look well marshalled out in a
letter."

"You don't know how much older he is grown," said Anne, again, with
the tell-tale colour in her cheeks. "Besides, he cannot bear to
come home."

"Don't tell me that, Nan. My mother does not see it; but though he
was fond of poor little Madam in a way, and tried to think himself
more so, as in duty bound, she really was fretting and wearing the
very life--no, perhaps not the life, but the temper--out of him.
What I believe it to be the cause is, that my father must have been
writing to him about that young gentlewoman in the island that he is
so set upon, because she would bring a landed estate which would
give Charles something to do. They say that Peregrine Oakshott ran
away to escape wedding his cousin; Charley will banish himself for
the like cause."

"He said nothing of it," said Anne.

"O Anne, I wish you had a landed estate! You would make him happier
than any other, and would love his poor little Phil! Anne! is it
so? I have guessed!" and Lucy kissed her on each cheek.

"Indeed, indeed I have not promised. I know it can never, never be--
and that I am not fit for him. Do not speak of it, Lucy? He spoke
of it once as we rode together--"

"And you could not be so false as to tell him you did not love him?
No, you could not?" and Lucy kissed her again.

"No," faltered Anne; "but I would not do as he wished. I have given
him no troth-plight. I told him it would never be permitted. And
he said no more, but he put this ring on my finger in the boat
without a word. I ought not to wear it; I shall not."

"Oh yes, you shall. Indeed you shall. No one need understand it
but myself, and it makes us sisters. Yes, Anne, Charley was right.
My father will not consent now, but he will in due time, if he does
not hear of it till he wearies to see Charles again. Trust it to
me, my sweet sister that is to be."

"It is a great comfort that you know,"