A Devotee

ved makes not

s, however it

nys

orchestra and chorus had gradually merged into one person: one shout of praise, one voice of prayer, one

the hush a winged voice arose, as a lark

iently for Him, and He shall

y figure quivered in its setting of palest violet and white draperies threaded with silver. Only a Frenchwoman could have dared to translate a child's posy of pale blue and white violets, tied with a silver string, into a

ress, but she was certainly not, in reality, any prettier than many hundre

four-petalled dog-rose newly blown-exquisite, ethereal, but as if it might fall in a moment. This aspect of fragility was heightened by what women noticed about her first, namely, her gossamer gown with its silver gleam

r hands clasping the score. She heard nothing of it, but it accompanied the

ng had stirred an a

ve thee thy he

it over and over again. To be near him, to see him day by day-nothing else, nothing else! This one thing, without which, poor child! she thought she could not live. It seemed to Sibyl that she was falling at God's feet in the whirlwind, and refusing to let Him

all over, and the

ho had been sitting with Sibyl, as they emerged into the suns

oachable-looking, unapproachable-looking fair young man, who, it was whispered, was

Sibyl with s

red,' he sa

e by some women, but others who admired fair hair

to infer which class of sentiments t

replied, without looking at h

ed you look!-and myself, and you, Mr. Doll; that is only four, and "we are

n the doorway,' said D

cast its great shadow. The nobility of his bearing seemed to appeal to the crowd. They made way for him instincti

dignified-looking while we were at luncheon at the Deanery, but now he looks like a pork-butcher. I'm not going to walk within ten yards of Mr

brilliant September sunshine. People turned to glance at them as they passed. They made a striking-looking couple. Mr. Loftus, following slowly at

ld be. Doll is

the slight slackening of reserve which is often observable in

e taken from her and placed in safe hands. She thought Doll was safe. Perhaps the wish was father, or rather aunt, to the thought. But it was no doubt the truest epithet that could be applied to the young man. It was a matter of opinion whether he was exhaustingly dull in conversation or extraordinarily interesting, but he certainly was safe. He belonged to that class of our latter-day youth of whom it may be predicted, with some confidence, that they will never cause their belongings a moment's uneasiness;

by which that point is reached. Mr. Loftus, sitting opposite her, and observing her fixity of gaze, glanced at her rather wistfully from time to time. He saw something was working in her mind. He looked tired, an

overlooked it, and had to be backed. Doll was already holding the wheel to protect Sibyl's gown as she got up, and looking towards her, and Lady Pier

face c

with you?' she

rybody looked disappointed. Lady Pi

n the open air will refresh

doesn't want to?' put in Peggy i

at Sibyl and shaking his head. 'And,' he added i

r face, which quivered as

u,' she said again, wit

aling eyes with

e through the park. I will take care of her, Lady Pierpoi

ogcart now?' implored Peggy f

and Sibyl set

gables, with quaint carved finials, standing above its terraces and its long stone balustrade. The sun was setting in a sky of daffodil behind the tall top-heavy elms of the rookery and the tower of the villa

de in an old friend than a relation. She has often talked to me before. Perhaps

dering at her continued silence, he

oubles you,'

lf in terror, as if

the tall bracken. A trunk of a tree la

h a sense of growing fatigue. Emotion of any kind exhausted him. If it had not be

hand and held it in his thin older hand. It was

ch, but she did not

t be afraid of paining me by talking of it. You like him, perhaps, but not e

yl. 'I have never thought abou

pulsive nature appealed to him, and filled him with apprehension as for a butterfly in a manufactory, which may injure itself any moment. And he knew Doll was ge

e timid wild animal brought to bay. He recognised that, like a shy bird near its nest, she was defending in impotent d

and her small hand ceased tr

yness of age and suffering crept suddenly from his face to her

rs since I gave up all thought of marriage. I am old enough to be your--' He might have said 'grandf

hurriedly. 'I don't mind

what little there is left

serve you and be with you! And I am so rich, too. If I might only take away those money troubles which you once spoke of long ago! If I might onl

deepl

ord shook her fragile edifice of hopes to its brittle foundati

ook he

'as one who cared for and understood you,

d not

re trying with awkward hands to hold a butterfly without injuring it, in order to re

efore you know what love and life are. They are terrible things, Sibyl; I have known them. This beautiful generous feeling which you have for me is not love, and I should be base indeed to allow you to wreck your life upon it, your youth upon th

that he was refusing to marry her. She snatched her hands out of his, and, starting wildly to her fee

o more, and a sense of exhaustion and distress was upon him.

lible stamp. And now the thin high features wore a new look of present distress over the old outlived troubles, a new look which anyone who really loved

he knotted arms of the great oaks, upraised like those of Moses and his brethren, shone red as flame ag

y towards the prostrate figure

ity, 'you must get up. I see Doll and yo

. Her entire self-abandonment, which would have brought acute humiliation to another w

thought, as he look

ly did not care what impression might be made on the minds of the two young people leisurely approaching them. She would have lain on the ground if it had been a bog instead of dry turf until the ice

ing they went slowly

hind as Peggy and Sibyl walked on tog

me?' said Doll

oor boy,