d,
clasping her little fingers, and pressing them back against her forehead,
as if she wanted to break them.

Then she walked hurriedly up and down the room.

'And this must go on for days and days, and I must see it.'

She looked about nervously for something to clutch. There was a muslin
kerchief lying on the table; she took it up and tore it into shreds as
she walked up and down, and then pressed it into hard balls in her hand.

'And Anthony,' she thought, 'he can do this without caring for what I
feel. O, he can forget everything: how he used to say he loved me--how he
used to take my hand in his as we walked--how he used to stand near me in
the evenings for the sake of looking into my eyes.'

'Oh, it is cruel, it is cruel!' she burst out again aloud, as all those
love-moments in the past returned upon her. Then the tears gushed forth,
she threw herself on her knees by the bed, and sobbed bitterly.

She did not know how long she had been there, till she was startled by
the prayer-bell; when, thinking Lady Cheverel might perhaps send some one
to inquire after her, she rose, and began hastily to undress, that there
might be no possibility of her going down again. She had hardly
unfastened her hair, and thrown a loose gown about her, before there was
a knock at the door, and Mrs. Sharp's voice said--'Miss Tina, my lady
wants to know if you're ill.'

Caterina opened the door and said, 'Thank you, dear Mrs. Sharp; I have a
bad headache; please tell my lady I felt it come on after singing.'
'Then, goodness me! why arn't you in bed, istid o' standing shivering
there, fit to catch your death? Come, let me fasten up your hair and tuck
you up warm.'

'O no, thank you; I shall really be in bed very soon. Good-night, dear
Sharpy; don't scold; I will be good, and get into bed.'

Caterina kissed her old friend coaxingly, but Mrs. Sharp was not to be
'come over' in that way, and insisted on seeing her former charge in bed,
taking away the candle which the poor child had wanted to keep as a
companion. But it was impossible to lie there long with that beating
heart; and the little white figure was soon out of bed again, seeking
relief in the very sense of chill and uncomfort. It was light enough for
her to see about her room, for the moon, nearly at full, was riding high
in the heavens among scattered hurrying clouds. Caterina drew aside the
window-curtain; and, sitting with her forehead pressed against the cold
pane, look