shadowy arms striven to push
them apart.

"I have done no more than my duty," she said, with a piteous smile. "It
was hard, very hard. Still a Carset must not allow any wrong to go
unatoned for, and about those diamonds I did wrong her."

Clara did not speak. She was frightened by the agitation into which this
scene had thrown the old lady, and only besought her to rest; but
strong, nervous excitement is not so easily pacified. The countess
conquered her tears, but the couch shook under her nervous trembling.
Then Clara ran to her own apartments, and came back to an adjoining room
with Caroline, whose voice had a power of soothing which even excitement
could not resist.

"Begin to sing--something low and sweet," she whispered. "I will leave
the door ajar."

Then Clara stole back to her grandmother, and directly a soft strain of
music stole into the room, almost unnoticed at first, like the perfume
of flowers, but growing into harmonies so full and swelling, that the
whole atmosphere seemed flooded with it.

The old countess listened; the faint breath paused upon her lips, her
eyelids began to quiver, and her little withered hands stole up to her
bosom and rested there in a tremulous clasp.

"It is a heavenly voice. My child is not angry with me. Oh! how sweetly
she tells me so! how sweet--how sweet!"

And so she fell asleep after awhile--all the trembling gone, all the
pain swept from those delicate features. Then Caroline came in and sat
down by Lady Clara, smiling over the gentle work she had done. The old
lady opened her eyes once, and, reaching out her hand to Caroline, who
sat nearest, murmured:

"You are not offended with me, child?"

"She takes you for me," whispered Clara, "and is dreaming, I think. Let
us be very still."

So the two girls sat together, and guarded the gentle slumber into which
the old countess had fallen, with loving solicitude. She seemed to feel
their loving presence even in sleep, for a heavenly smile stole over her
face, and occasionally she whispered as if answering some pleasant voice
that came stealing through her dreams.

CHAPTER XXXI.

DOWN AMONG THE FERNS AGAIN.

Lady Carset had extended numerous invitations to her old friends, and it
was understood that Lady Hope would represent the head of the house and
do the honors. This compliment was partly in atonement for the wrong
that had been done Rachael Closs, and partly from the infirmities of
extreme old age, w