than you think. Your conduct to-night has
made me your friend for life."

Miss Fairlie came last. I could not trust myself to look at her when I
took her hand, and when I thought of the next morning.

"My departure must be a very early one," I said. "I shall be gone,
Miss Fairlie, before you----"

"No, no," she interposed hastily, "not before I am out of my room. I
shall be down to breakfast with Marian. I am not so ungrateful, not so
forgetful of the past three months----"

Her voice failed her, her hand closed gently round mine--then dropped
it suddenly. Before I could say "Good-night" she was gone.

The end comes fast to meet me--comes inevitably, as the light of the
last morning came at Limmeridge House.

It was barely half-past seven when I went downstairs, but I found them
both at the breakfast-table waiting for me. In the chill air, in the
dim light, in the gloomy morning silence of the house, we three sat
down together, and tried to eat, tried to talk. The struggle to
preserve appearances was hopeless and useless, and I rose to end it.

As I held out my hand, as Miss Halcombe, who was nearest to me, took
it, Miss Fairlie turned away suddenly and hurried from the room.

"Better so," said Miss Halcombe, when the door had closed--"better so,
for you and for her."

I waited a moment before I could speak--it was hard to lose her,
without a parting word or a parting look. I controlled myself--I tried
to take leave of Miss Halcombe in fitting terms; but all the farewell
words I would fain have spoken dwindled to one sentence.

"Have I deserved that you should write to me?" was all I could say.

"You have nobly deserved everything that I can do for you, as long as
we both live. Whatever the end is you shall know it."

"And if I can ever be of help again, at any future time, long after the
memory of my presumption and my folly is forgotten . . ."

I could add no more. My voice faltered, my eyes moistened in spite of
me.

She caught me by both hands--she pressed them with the strong, steady
grasp of a man--her dark eyes glittered--her brown complexion flushed
deep--the force and energy of her face glowed and grew beautiful with
the pure inner light of her generosity and her pity.

"I will trust you--if ever the time comes I will trust you as my friend
and HER friend, as my brother and HER brother." She stopped, drew me
nearer to her--the fearless, noble creature--touched my forehead,
sister-