The Hand of Ethelberta

aging his energies to clear encumbrances from the tangled way of his life, he now set about reading the popular 'Metres by E.' with more interest and assiduity than ever; for though Julian was a thin

on, and has conduced to the

creased in value with you. The lady, lofty as she appears to be, would be flattered if she only could know how much you study

rtain that she had anything to do with sending them, o

an could bring herself

nge-they are nat

ally at the remoter

ued Christopher. 'The

fast lady-not a bad fast lady; a nice fast lady, I mean, of course. There, I have said it now, and I daresay you are vexed wi

rd, you mean

ews; and, on failing to do so, looked concerned at her brother's som

etorical necessity even with the most modest, if their inspirations are to do any good in the world. You will, for certain, not be in

But don't be crabbed, Kit! You know ho

ngs, "When tapers tall"-but I am not sure about the power of it. This is

er opinion, having proved its value frequently; for it was not that of a woman merely, but impersonally human. Though she was unknow

oving her lips in her great attention. 'Now again, an

her usual praise, and she seldom insisted vigorously upon an

ith lightened spirits, voice to correspond, and eyes likewise; 'there can be no objection to it, for such t

as readily as he could have done at noonday. In three-quarters of an hour he reached the park gates; and entering now upon a tract which he had never before explored, he went along more cautiously and with some uncertainty as to the precise direction that the road would take. A frosted expanse of even grass, on which the shadow of his head appeared with an opal halo round it, soon allowed the house to be discovered beyond, the other portions of the park abounding with timber older and finer than that of any other spot in the neighbourho

ilar attitude to his own, gazing, with arms folded, as blankly at the windows of the house as Christopher himself had been gazing. Not willing to be discovered, Chr

e day and ra

an eve

nes from one of E

r in the palms of his hands. Three or four minutes passed, when the unknown rival gave a last glance at the windows, and walked away. Christopher did not like the look of that walk at all-there was grace enough in it to suggest that his antagonist had no mean chance of f

ur that was spasmodic only, and with much less brightness of mind than he had experienced on his journey hither. The st

as going to take a

gh I always know beforehand when you are in that state: one of your feet

t that I did

is pilgrimage: it was too silly

said Faith assuringly; 'that is, if exercise bene

ing up and do

oad to Rookingt

y where I have been.

nd an accidental meeting

nd mentally, both. I wonder people do not

think you discover in her more than anybody else does;

love her or love her not, I can keep a corner of my heart fo

sition in society is above ours, so that it is an un

ll in love, it is best to do so where he cannot

ou talk so slightingly

ed and sleeping, he sat before a sheet of music-paper, neatly copying his composition upon it.

*

thelberta, here comes the clue unasked for,' sa

hat he was reading t

it?' as

ok is out at last, and it is Ethelberta of c

n we be

t" says. It is one of the nicest bits of gossip

ow read

erday on his way to the House of Lords, that her name is Mrs. Petherwin-Christian name Ethelberta; and that she resides with her mother-in-law at their house in Exonbury Crescent. She is, moreover, the daughter of the late Bishop of Silchester (if report may be believed), whose active benevolence, as your readers know, left his family in comparatively straitened circumstances at his death. Th

er your music, you can

estinies would lie apart, though she was once temporarily under a cloud. Her momentary inspiration to write that "Cancelled Words" was the worst possible omen for

you must say to yourself, "Ethelberta, as thou

he song. He dropped it into the box and heard it fall, and with the curious power which he possessed of setting his wisdom to watch any particular folly