and all safe for the night, and for a fleeting moment the
impression came over her that she would never see it look quite
the same again. A faint cold tremor ran through her delicate
little body--she felt lonely and afraid. Silently she followed
Priscilla up the beautiful Tudor staircase to the first landing,
where, moved by a tender, clinging impulse, she kissed her.

"Good-night, you dear, kind Priscilla!" she said--"You've always
been good to me!"

"Bless you, my lovey!" answered Priscilla, with emotion--"Go and
sleep with the angels, like the little angel you are yourself! And
mind you think twice, and more than twice, before you say 'No' to
Mr. Robin!"

With a deprecatory shake of her head, and a faint smile, Innocent
turned away, and passed through the curious tortuous little
corridor that led to her own room. Once safely inside that quiet
sanctum where the Sieur Amadis of long ago had "found peace," she
set her candle down on the oak table and remained standing by it
for some moments, lost in thought. The pale glimmer of the single
light was scarcely sufficient to disperse the shadows around her,
but the lattice window was open and admitted a shaft of moonlight
which shed a pearly radiance on her little figure, clothed in its
simple white gown. Had any artist seen her thus, alone and
absorbed in sorrowful musing, he might have taken her as a model
of Psyche after her god had flown. She was weary and anxious--life
had suddenly assumed for her a tragic aspect. Old Jocelyn's manner
had puzzled her--he was unlike himself, and she instinctively felt
that he had some secret trouble on his mind. What could it be? she