Four years of
tension were culminating.

"See her now, Edward," repeated Mrs. Lambert. "Yes, but if I'm not
mistaken, my dear, she is doing so well that she's going to pieces.
She's overstrung to-day. If it were you, you'd be in hysterics."

"I believe you are right," was the grave reply. "There will be an end to
this comedy one way or another very soon."

A moment afterwards they were in a carriage rolling away to Greyhope.

CHAPTER XV. THE END OF THE TRAIL

When Marion was about leaving with her husband for the railway station,
she sought out Lali, and found her standing half hidden by the curtains
of a window, looking out at little Richard, who was parading his pony
up and down before the house. An unutterable sweetness looked out of
Marion's eyes. She had found, as it seemed to her, and as so many have
believed until their lives' end, the secret of existence. Lali saw the
glistening joy, and responded to it, just as it was in her being to
respond to every change of nature--that sensitiveness was in her as deep
as being.

"You are very happy, dear?" she said to Marion. "You cannot think how
happy, Lali. And I want to say that I feel sure that you will yet be as
happy, even happier than I. Oh, it will come--it will come. And you have
the boy now-so fine, so good."

Lali looked out to where little Richard disported himself; her eyes
shone, and she turned with a responsive but still sad smile to Marion.
"Marion," she said gently, "the other should have come before he came."
"Frank loves you, Lali."

"Who knows? And then, oh, I cannot tell! How can one force one's heart?
No, no! One has to wait, and wait, even if the heart grows harder, and
one gets hopeless."

Marion kissed her on the cheek and smiled. "Some day soon the heart will
open up, and then such a flood will pour out! See, Lali. I am going now,
and our lives won't run together so much again ever, perhaps. But I
want to tell you now that your coming to us has done me a world of
good--helped me to be a wiser girl; and I ought to be a better woman for
it. Good-bye."

They were calling to her, and with a hurried embrace the two parted, and
in a few moments the bride and bridegroom were on their way to the new
life. As the carriage disappeared in a turn of the limes, Lali vanished
also to her room. She was not seen at dinner. Mackenzie came to say that
she was not very well, and that she would keep to her room. Frank sent
several times during the