let her face fall upon her palms, to repeat to herself the words which
danced fire-like b re her darkened eyes. He wrote rather sadly, but she
would not have had it otherwise, for the sadness was of love's innermost
heart, which is the shrine of mortality.

As Emily knelt thus by the chair there came another knock at the
house-door, the knock of a visitor. She did not hear it, nor yet the tap
at her own door which followed. She was startled to consciousness by her
landlady's voice.

'There's a lady wishes to see you, Miss Hood.'

'A lady?' Emily repeated in surprise. Then it occurred to her that it
must be Mrs. Baxendale, who knew her address and was likely to be in
London at this time of the year. 'Does she give any name?'

No name. Emily requested that the visitor should be introduced.

Not Mrs. Baxendale, but a face at first barely remembered, then growing
with suggestiveness upon Emily's gaze until all was known save the name
attached to it. A face which at present seemed to bear the pale signs of
suffering, though it smiled; a beautiful visage of high meanings,
impressive beneath its crown of dark hair. It smiled and still smiled;
the eyes looked searchingly.

'You do not remember me, Miss Hood?'

'Indeed, I remember you--your face, your voice. But your name--? You are
Mrs. Baxendale's niece.'

'Yes; Miss Redwing.'

'O, how could I forget!'

Emily became silent. The eyes that searched her so were surely kind, but
it was the time of fears. Impossible that so strange a visit should be
unconnected with her fate. And the voice thrilled upon her strung nerves
ominously; the lips she watched were so eloquent of repressed feeling.
Why should this lady come to her? Their acquaintance had been so very
slight.

She murmured an invitation to be seated.

'For a moment,' returned Beatrice, 'you must wonder to see me. But I
think you remember that I was a friend of the Athels. I am come with Mr.
Athel's leave--Mr. Wilfrid.'

Emily was agitated and could not smooth her features.

'Oh, don't think I bring you bad news!' pursued the other quickly,
leaning a little forward and again raising her eyes. She had dropped
them on the mention of Wilfrid's name. 'I have come, in fact, to put Mr.
Athel at ease in his mind.' She laughed nervously. 'He and I have been
close friends for a very long time, indeed since we were all but
children, and I--he--you won't misunderstand? He has told me--me alone
as yet--of what has hap