The Rector of St. Mark's

re his people that Sunday morning, for he felt that he was approaching the crisis of his fate; th

it with rare melody, for Anna was in perfect tone that morning, and the rector, listening to her with hands folded upon his prayer-book, felt that she could not thus "heartily rejoice," meaning all the while to darken his whole life, as she surely would if she told him "no." He was looking at her now, and she met his eyes at last, but quickly dropped her own, while he was sure that the roses burned a little brighter on her cheek, and t

me carriage dashed up to the door, and, had he been wholly blind, he would have known, by the sudden sound of

had served in the Mexican war, and, retiring on the glory of having once led a forlorn hope, now obtained his living by acting as attendant on his fashionable wife and daughter; also, young Dr. Simon Bellamy who, while obedient to the flashing of Miss Fanny's black eyes, still found stolen opportunities for glancing at the fifth and last remaining member of the party, filing up the aisle to the large, square pew, where old Judge Howard used to sit, and which was still owned by his daughter. Mrs. Hetherton liked being late at church, and so, notwithstanding that the Colonel had worked him

and Fanny's black head nodded a quick nod of recognition. The Hethertons and Mrs. Meredith were evidently friends, and in her wonder at seeing them there, in stupid Hanover, the great lady forgot for a while to read, but kept her eyes upon them all, especially upon the fifth and last mentioned member of the party, the graceful little blonde, whose eyes might have caught their hue from the deep blue of the summer sky, and whose long, silken curls fell in a golden shower beneath the fanciful French hat. She was a beautiful young creature, and even Anna Ruthven leaned forward to look at her as she shook out her airy muslin an

to show. Anna tried to ask forgiveness for that feeling in the prayers which followed; but, when the services were over, and she saw a little figure in blue and white flitting up the aisle to where Arthur, still in his robes, stood waiting for her, an expression upon his face which she could not define, she felt that she had praye

proud step, she was leaving the church, when her aunt, who was

r. Leighton, and joined the group just as Anna

her in Troy," Miss Fanny said, her searching eyes taking in every point as if she were decid

ourt, who was telling Colonel Hetherton how she had met Mr. Leighton first among the Alps, and

hat Alpine scenery and basking again in the soft moonlight of Venice. I heard you singing, though," she said, when Anna was presented to her, "and it helped to keep up the illusion-it was so like the music heard

night in Venice?" young Bellamy asked, smiling down upon the li

achers," and she turned again to Anna, whose face was suffused with blushes as she met the rector's eyes, for to his sug

voice. Don't you remember?-those frightfully rainy days in Rome?" Miss Harcourt said, the

d the pressure of the snowy fingers which had twined themselves around her, as Lucy rattled on until the whole party left the church. It had been decided that Mrs. Mere

can't I Arthur?" and, kissing her hand to Mrs. Meredith, Anna, and the

a asked, and Mr.

reat heiress, I believe, though I never paid much atten

?" Mrs. Meredith s

ere I accidentally met her. It was a very pleasant party, and I was indu

Anna for an auditor. She was walking very demurely at his side, pondering in her mind the circumstances which could have brought

the innocent Lucy, at that very moment chatting so pleasantly of her and of Arthur, too, reply

ome. I could not like him as well if I called him Mr. Leighton. Is

nd, with a toss of her golden curls and a merry twinkle

resistance was roused, and she watched her lover narrowly, gnashing her teeth sometimes when she saw his ill-concealed admiration for her sprightly little cousin, who could say and do with perfect impunity so many things which in another would have been improper to the last degree. She was a tolerably correct reader of human nature, and, from the moment she witnessed the meeting between Lucy and the rector of St. Marks, she took courage, for she readily guessed the channel in which her cousin's preference ran. The rector, however, she could not read so well; but few men she knew could