D HEAVENLY LOVE

Katherine stood in the central space of the great, state bedroom. It
was just upon midnight, yet she still wore her jewels and her handsome,
trailing, black, velvet dress. She was very tired. But that tiredness
proceeded less from physical than mental weariness. This she
recognised, and foresaw that weariness of this character was not likely
to find relief and extinction within the shelter of the curtains of the
stately bed, whereon the ancient Persian legend of the flight of the
Hart through the tangled Forest of This Life was so deftly and quaintly
embroidered. For, unhappily to-night, the leopard, Care, followed very
close behind. And Katherine, taking the ancient legend as very
literally descriptive of her existing state of mind feared that, should
she undress and seek the shelter of the rose-lined curtains the leopard
would seek it also, and, crouching at her feet, his evil yellow eyes
would gaze into her own, wide open, all through that which remained of
the night. The night, moreover, was very wild. A westerly gale, with
now and again tumultuous violence of rain, rattled the many panes of
the windows, wailed in every crevice of door and casement, roared
through the mile-long elm avenue below, and roared in the chimneys
above. The Prince of the Power of the Air was let loose, and announced
his presence as with the shout of battle. Sleep was out of the question
under present conditions and in her present humour. Therefore Lady
Calmady had dismissed Clara--now promoted to the dignified office of
lady's-maid--and that bright-eyed and devoted waiting-woman had
departed reluctant, almost in tears, protesting that:--"it was quite
too bad, for her ladyship was being regularly worn out with all the
talking and company. And she, for her part, should be heartily glad
when the entertaining was over and they were all comfortably to
themselves again."

Nor could Katherine honestly assert that she would be altogether sorry
when the hour struck, to-morrow, for the departure of her guests. For
it appeared to her that, notwithstanding the courtesy and affection of
her brother and the triumphant charm of her niece, a spirit of unrest
had entered Brockhurst along with their entry. Would that same spirit
depart along with their departing? She questioned it. She was oppressed
by a fear that that spirit of unrest had come to stay. And so it was
that as she walked the length and breadth of the lofty, white-paneled
r