d her usual want of
thought, "Grant had no heart to give anybody; all his love was centred
on me; after the experience he had years ago, I don't suppose he could
ever love any woman again--he is just that odd sort of character."

Elizabeth gave no sign of the blow which struck her this time cruelly on
the heart; she drew her hand away from Elsie, lest its sudden coldness
should rouse some suspicion of the truth in the girl's mind, and asked
in a singularly quiet voice--

"What experience, Elsie?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to say that," she replied; "I am always letting
things out by mistake; Grant would be really angry with me; don't ever
mention it to him."

"I will not; but what experience has he had that can prevent a husband's
giving his heart even to his own wife?"

"Dear me, I oughtn't to tell you; but you'd surely find it out sometime;
only promise me not to open your lips."

"I promise," replied Elizabeth, a cold, gray shadow settling over her
face, out of which all the bloom had faded.

"He had a friend, a cousin you know, that our rich old uncle had partly
adopted, whom he was very, very fond of," pursued Elsie, "and he was
engaged to be married into the bargain. This man treated him
dreadfully--ran off with the girl Grant loved, and cheated him out of a
great deal of money--money that he could not afford to lose, for he was
not rich then. Grant was nearly mad. I was a little thing, but I
remember it perfectly. When his uncle died he sent me to school, and
started to Europe; he has been there all these four long years; but his
cousin was punished; his uncle gave everything to Grant."

And of all this grief, this disappointment, he had never told her one
word. Elsie spoke the truth--he had married her that his sister might
have a companion, and his house a mistress.

A prouder woman than Elizabeth Mellen never existed; but she sat
motionless and gave no sign, while her brief dream of happiness fell
crushed and broken at her feet under this revelation.

"There," cried Elsie, "that's all, so don't ever think about the thing
again. What a fortunate creature you are! how happy we shall be, shan't
we, dear?"

She attempted to throw her arms about Elizabeth in her demonstrative
way, but the woman rose quickly, and avoided the caresses which would
have stifled her.

"It is time to dress," she said; "I am going to my room."

She passed into her chamber with that dreary chill at heart, which, it
seemed to her