mother's loving discipline, never thrilled to the
sympathy of a sister-friend, rose in revolt against the evil destiny
which had imbittered her life. Her eyes still rested on the photograph.
"Come to my heart, my only friend, and kill me!" As those wild words
escaped her, she thrust the card furiously into the bosom of her
dress--and threw herself on the floor. There was something in the mad
self-abandonment of that action which mocked the innocent despair of her
childhood, on the day when her mother left her at the cruel mercy of her
aunt.

That night was a night of torment in secret to another person at Mount
Morven.

Wandering, in his need of self-isolation, up and down the dreary stone
passages in the lower part of the house, Linley counted the hours,
inexorably lessening the interval between him and the ordeal of
confession to his wife. As yet, he had failed to find the opportunity of
addressing to Sydney the only words of encouragement he could allow to
pass his lips: he had asked for her earlier in the evening, and nobody
could tell him where she was. Still in ignorance of the refuge which she
might by bare possibility hope to find in Mrs. MacEdwin's house, Sydney
was spared the torturing doubts which now beset Herbert Linley's mind.
Would the noble woman whom they had injured allow their atonement to
plead for them, and consent to keep their miserable secret? Might they
still put their trust in that generous nature a few hours hence? Again
and again those questions confronted Linley; and again and again he
shrank from attempting to answer them.

Chapter XIII. Kitty Keeps Her Birthday.

They were all assembled as usual at the breakfast-table.

Preferring the request suggested to her by Mrs. Presty, Kitty had
hastened the presentation of the birthday gifts, by getting into her
mother's bed in the morning, and exacting her mother's promise before
she would consent to get out again. By her own express wish, she was
left in ignorance of what the presents would prove to be. "Hide them
from me," said this young epicure in pleasurable sensations, "and
make me want to see them until I can bear it no longer." The gifts had
accordingly been collected in an embrasure of one of the windows; and
the time had now arrived when Kitty could bear it no longer.

In the procession of the presents, Mrs. Linley led the way.

She had passed behind the screen which had thus far protected the hidden
treasures from discover