walk and held herself up with
difficulty. He looked at her with such tender love in his eyes that she
held out her arms to him. He drew her close to his bosom:

"Elizabeth, we will be happy now."

"Yes, yes," she said, in the same hurried manner, "we will be happy
now--quite happy."

She went out of the room as she said these words and entered her
chamber, locking the door carefully behind her, as if she feared that he
might intrude upon her.

Half an hour after the newly-united husband and wife met at the
supper-table, and Grantley Mellen saw that Elizabeth had quite recovered
from the sudden shock of his arrival in that unexpected way.

"I cannot realize it yet," she said, coming into the room and walking up
to the hearth where he stood; "I cannot believe you are actually here."

She stole close to his side and folded his hand in hers. For an instant
there was a slight hesitation amounting almost to timidity, as if she
were doing something or assuming a place to which she had no right, but
it passed quickly. She was looking up into his face with a pleasant
smile, a little pale yet from her recent emotion, or else those two
years which had elapsed since their parting had robbed her of a portion
of her girlish bloom,--but self-possessed and full of happiness.

Grantley Mellen looked at her more closely as she stood there in the
cheerful light. Two years had changed her, but that was natural; he was
altered too.

"Do I look very different, Elizabeth?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"You are browned, you look a little older, perhaps; but you are not
really changed--you are Grantley still."

"I cannot tell if you are altered," he said; "I must wait till I have
seen you a day or two. You seem paler--thinner."

She shivered a little, but quickly regained her self-control and
cheerfulness.

"You cannot judge how I look to-night," she said. "I am sorry Elsie is
gone."

"When did she go away, Elizabeth?"

"Only yesterday; she seemed to be getting low spirited, so I advised her
to visit Mrs. Harrington for a while."

"I suppose she has not left you often--you two kept together?" he asked,
the old jealousy creeping through his voice.

"Of course; she has visited a little," replied his wife, quietly, but
she turned away to the table as she spoke.

A servant brought in the supper, and they sat down opposite to each
other at the board; but even during those first hours of reunion the
strange greeting which h