his soul?

Suddenly there was a sound. The handle of the drawing-room turned.

"Why, you are dark in here!" said Augustina. "What a wretched light that
lamp gives!"

At the same moment the heavy curtain over the oriel window was drawn to
one side, and a light figure entered the room.

The Jesuit made a step backwards. "Laura!" cried Helbeck in bewilderment.
"Where have you come from?"

"I was in the window watching the moon rise. Didn't you know?"

She walked up to him, and without hesitation she did what she had never
yet done before a spectator: she slipped her little hand into his. He
looked down upon her, rather pale, his lips moving. Then withdrawing his
hand, he quietly and proudly put his arm round her. She accepted the
movement with equal pride, and without a word.

Augustina looked at them with discomfort--coughed, fumbled with her
spectacles, and began to hunt for her knitting. The Jesuit, whiter and
sicklier than before, murmured that he would go and rest after his
journey, and with eyes steadily cast down he walked away.

"I don't wonder!" thought Augustina, in an inward heat; "they really are
too demonstrative!"

That night for the first time since her arrival at Bannisdale, Laura,