parents, she
had been left to the guardianship of her young uncle, who, with his
youthful niece, now boarded at the Blackville Hotel.

It was reasonably to be expected that these young people would, on
Christmas-day, willingly exchange the hotel parlor and the society of
strangers, for the drawing-room at Black Hall and the company of their
friends.

Moreover, Mr. Berners had noticed a growing esteem between the brilliant
young barrister and the beautiful Beatrix Pendleton, an esteem which he
hoped and believed, for their sakes, would ripen into a warmer
sentiment. Therefore he invited the Sheridans to meet the Pendletons at
the Christmas dinner.

Miss Tabby had, within a few days, returned and resumed her position as
housekeeper at Black Hall. Her office was something of a sinecure. She
could do little more than fret at the servants. She was not strong
enough yet to scold them vigorously.

On the night before Christmas it snowed, but just enough to cover the
ground a few inches deep.

Christmas-day broke clear, bright, and beautiful.

Lyon Berners arose early in the morning, to be ready to greet his two
friends upon their entrance into the drawing-room.

Although his heart was aching with grief for Sybil, he was resolved to
wear a cheerful countenance for the sake of those two loyal souls who
had been so devoted to her, and were now so constant to him. He little
dreamed how great would be his reward before the day should be over.

Clement and Beatrix Pendleton did not keep him waiting long. They soon
came down from their chambers, and greeted him affectionately.

"This cannot be a 'merry' Christmas to you, dear Lyon, but it may be a
_good_ one. Will you accept this from me? See! with the faith or the
superstition of the old Christians, I opened it at random to-day, to
find your fate in some text. And this is really what my eyes first
lighted on," said Beatrix Pendleton, as she placed an elegantly bound
pocket Bible in the hands of Lyon Berners, and pointed to this passage:

"_There shall be light at the evening tide._"

"Thanks, dear Beatrix! thanks for the sacred gift and happy augury!"
said Mr. Berners, as he took the book and read the lines. "'Light at the
evening tide,' That, I fancy, means the evening of life. A weary time to
wait, Beatrix. Ah! Clement, good-morning. I may wish _you_ a merry
Christmas, at least," he added, suddenly turning to Captain Pendleton,
who had followed his sister into the roo