"Millie, your lover is coming-I want to speak to him alone. Go into the study for a little; there is a fire there. You are not afraid," she added, seeing that Millie lingered, "not afraid that I shall steal him from you, are you?" It did not occur to Millie to wonder how it was that Hildred knew him. "Not afraid of that!" Millie said; and she came to Hildred's side, knelt beside her, twining her arms round her waist, and looking up beseechingly into her sister's dark eyes: but Hildred knew that Mr. Lyneward was almost at the house-door. She felt desperate; rose, and half-led, half-carried Millie from the room. When she had her safe in the study, she kissed her-not tenderly, but fiercely and went away, leaving Millie full of tearful wonder. She got back into the drawing-room before Mr. Lyneward had entered the house. She stood waiting him, her face turned from the light. She heard him stride across the hall. He had opened the door, was in the room; he stood still. His face grew bewildered and deeply troubled, as he looked at her. She spoke first. Coldly greeting him, she pointed to the chair he was to take, opposite to her. He obeyed her stately gesture, and she condescended to explain : "I am Millie's sister, Mr. Lyneward. You are surprised to see me here ?" "Miss Vynern-Hildred Vynern!" he said perplexedly. Did Millie expect Mr. Lyneward that morning? Hildred asked. When Millie answered, perhaps he would not come, as the weather was so bad, Hildred smiled scornfully; thinking how much better she knew him, and that the wild weather was "I have cast off that name-my aunt one sure inducement to bring him out. She made me adopt it. I have left her. I followed up her question by asking Millie am Hildred Grey. I hear," she went on where he lived, about what time he gen- steadily, "that you are my sister's accepterally came, and whether walking or rid-ed lover. I am her elder sister and selfing? Then she took up her station at constituted guardian." the window which overlooked the road, and sat there. Millie was unhappy. She was sure Hil-in dred was ill; thought she was angry, or sorry, too. All sorts of miseries entered into the little head bent down assiduously over some work. ly. "Hildred Vynern, Millie's sister?" "Much," Mr. Lyneward replied proud "Is it not strange that my Milliesweet, loving, Millie Grey-should have so ungentle and haughty a woman for sister?" Hildred (who never shammed except to gain some great end) made no pretense "Yes, that is strange," Hildred said, of reading, or working, but sat idle; lean- smiling scornfully: "Yet not stranger ing back in the great chair Millie had than-but I will not detain you. I meremade her take, her cold hands lying list-ly wished to see you alone that you might lessly on her lap, her eyes glittering, and be prepared-that, before Millie, you intent in watching. At last she saw Erle might not show surprise at seeing me. Lyneward coming; he was a long way off, She does not know that we have ever met but she knew him. She turned her rigid face round to Millie, and said: before." "You are kind, Miss Vynern-considerate. But I think you have taken an un 66 necessary precaution. I have a great deal | longing of her heart was to throw herself of self-command," Mr Lyneward said. at his feet, say once that she loved him, Hildred bit her lip, and an angry flush and-die. But Millie? She kept firm. crossed her face; but she said coldly: "I His next words sounded almost like a acted only for Millie's sake. I have no curse. more to say." Hildred, as you are a woman, one day She rose, and so did Mr. Lyneward; you will love, and then you will sufferbut, instead of letting her go as she had O Heaven! how fiercely! Only one right intended, he stopped her, laid his hand worthy love comes to the life-portion of upon her arm, and cast a haggard look any man or woman. You have rejected into her face. She noticed, then, how that. When you suffer, remember me!" many of the lines about that face had deepened since she had last seen him. Feeling as if her heart would break, she shook off his hand-indeed, she could not bear it there; it seemed to burn her to the bone-and proudly returned his gaze. He resented her haughty gesture, and spoke with a voice thick with passion: He moved towards the door. Possessed by a vague idea that they could not part thus-even for Millie's sakeHildred said: "Mr. Lyneward, you speak harshlyonly for Millie's sake"- he started at the tenderness with which those haughty lips uttered those three words" for Millie's "I owe it to myself to say that I will sake, we must try to be-friends. You not be scorned by any man or woman-have made me respect you. Some day, you, least of all. Hildred Vynern, your perhaps, you may respect me." pride has blinded you; you have dashed She offered him her hand, but he would back the love of the only man who ever not take it. did, or will, love you worthily. You "And Millie ?" she said, as he was godared confound me with the rest, dared ing. Had he forgotten Millie? He stopto believe I paid my homage to your ex-ped, and then said hastily: pected fortune. Had you not been utter- "I can not see her now. Tell her-any ly blind, you might have seen that could thing you please. I am not fit for her innot be. Would Mrs. Vynern have given nocent eyes to look upon. There is someyou one penny if you had married me-a thing black, fierce, and wild in my heart— Lyneward? Did she not hate me? Didn't hate, perhaps." I know she hated me? I condescended to entreat, to explain, to offer you my love a second time, because I thought your heart a rich, great treasure. I was wrong. It is dross; it is eaten up with She walked to a mirror, and looked into pride. You left unanswered that last let-it. The shining of such lustrous eyes in ter I wrote you-ridiculed me and it." that white face looked unearthly, and "That is slander. I only "-she stop-startled even herself. But she admired ped, remembering that must not be said and commended her own behavior, mut"I received it only two days ago," she tering that she had acted well; had begun had been about to say. her farce or tragedy, whichever it was, He did not heed, but went on: "And bravely; bade herself take courage, and you think me light and fickle, and smile be assured that she would be a grand actcontemptuously at my former protesta- ress in time. tions to yourself. I will keep my Millie's name holy-will not speak of her now, save to say, that only when she was alone, friendless, poor, and when I had learnt how incapable you were of truly loving, did I first think of making her my wife." "When I found she loved me," he might have said. Hildred did not speak. She stood opposite to him, erect; her marble-white hands drooped among the folds of her black dress; her dark eyes dilated; he thought with pride and anger. The wild He was gone. She turned to the window and watched him, sure that he would not look round: he did not. What should she do? Just then Millie came in, full of wonder and fear. She had seen Mr. Lyneward go away, and dreaded that he and her sister had quarrelled. "Was any thing wrong?" she asked, tremblingly. "Not much," Hildred answered. "We have been angry. But never mind, love, we shall be good enough friends in time. My future brother-in-law is a proud man. Have a care how you anger him, Millie. But I forgot," she added, smiling, "you never anger any one, do you?" Hildred stayed a little to talk to her sister, particularly impressing upon her | Millie home, he said, to make his desolate that the marriage must be soon. "Is that Mr. Lyneward's wish ?" Millie asked. Hildred laughed, and answered that of course it was. Millie began to feel reassured, and to think that, after all, she had been foolishly fearful-that all would be well; that though Hildred at first felt grieved and vexed that she must call a Lyneward brother, she would soon relent. house cheery. With all his tenderness, he seemed so strangely sad, that pure, unselfish Millie, though reluctant to assume so suddenly this great responsibility, could not find in heart to say, No. So it was a settled thing that early in the ensuing January, Millie was to be made a wife. CHAPTER IV. MILLIE was not at ease in the time that Then Hildred said she should go out. intervened; simple, sweet Millie was Millie tried to dissuade her, saying it was troubled and perplexed. In the world, she dreadful weather, raining and blowing and loved only two persons entirely, and she very cold; but Hildred answered, that it could not make them love one another. was just the weather for her, in her pre- Hildred acted well, too, all that torturesent mood. After sitting down a mo- time, daring to leave nothing to the imment, and dashing off a business-letter-pulse of a moment. Each morning she so she called it-in less time than Millie planned what her conduct through all the would have taken to write the three first probable events of the day should be. words, Hildred set off to the post, nodding Mr. Lyneward was too proud to act, gayly to Millie as she went down the gar- too bitter against her to try to seem den. This letter contained her final com- brotherly; and loving and unconscious mand to Mr. Blankardt to have her own Millie often made him wince by expresslittle property settled on Millie. After ing her regret that he would not be kind posting her letter, and being clear of the to her sister. Hildred was cold, even in village, she went on at a wild rate. Fight- her manner to Millie herself, and uncering her way against the howling wind, tain in her temper. She dared not be splashing on through the mud and marsh, affectionate; if the spring of passionate she made a circuit of some eight or ten tenderness in her heart once thawed, she miles home, crossing the bleakest country feared it might over leap all restraints. in all the neighborhood. It was dark She saw that Millie was uneasy-as unwhen she returned. Millie had been get- happy as it was possible for a young girl ting anxious, and came running into the hall to meet and question her. But Hildred parried her questions, and seemed in such high spirits, that her gentle sister only wondered, and was content. who loves and is loved to be; but she stood proud and secure in the great sacrifice she was conscious of making. She could not stoop to care about the lesser daily and hourly sacrifices. She said to Hildred chose to spend that evening herself, that all would be well soon for alone; finding one excuse or another, or them; they would be married, and she proudly withholding any. She generally would go away and be forgotten. did so for that time. Erle Lyneward was At first Erle Lyneward always stopped there to entertain Millie. Hildred had Millie when she began to talk of Hildred; seen him as she stood inside the house- but that was not easy to do; and, after a door shaking the rain from her cloak-while, he rather liked to listen. In time had seen him standing looking moodily he came to have some glimmering suspiinto the fire, instead of meeting her as her cion of the truth. future brother might have done. Mr. Lyneward, weary from the emotion and passion of the morning, turned to Millie for rest; he felt her gentle ways infinitely Only the day before Christmas Day, soothing. He was more tender and de- Hildred sat alone and idle, musing by the voted that evening than she had ever drawing-room fire. Millie was gone out known him. He too told her that their to distribute some Christmas charities to marriage must be soon-very soon. poor people to whom she had been a conChristmas was not far off, and, early in stant friend. the next year, before the snow-drops were out in his old gardens, he must have his Hildred was to pass through the fiery trial of another temptation before the consummation of the sacrifices. Hildred had many associations of pain and pleasure with that day-some two or three of the latter calculated to soften her heart infinitely. She felt now that the last act of her tradegy was almost played out-that her unnatural strength need endure but little longer; so, as she sat alone, she suffered her heart to soften, and let the tears fall slowly and unheeded a-down upon her lap. Suddenly Erle Lyneward stood before her. She was startled, confused, unnerved. One glance at her softened face, her tearful eyes, her tremulous hand, made him forget all but his old love for her. Before she could recover the cold composure with which she always met him, he had taken her hand, and was pouring out a strong passion of burning love and wild sorrow. Hildred dared not hear him out. One moment's irresolution and all would be lost. She had not time to weigh, or choose words. She thought only of Millie. Her answer was fiercely indignant-full of vehement resentment. He was humbled this time: she, full of pride and power. Once and for ever her fate was decided. Was it, after all, so great a sacrifice? Loving Millie as she did, was she not conscious that she did not voluntarily give up her own happiness, for that happiness at Millie's expense was simply impossible. If Hildred had deemed Millie's nature one that could forget and love again, after awhile, she would long since have wavered in her purpose; but she knew the girl's words were true when she said she did not forget." She felt that she was as firm as she was gentle. She had read a world of unchangeableness and remembrance in the depth of Millie's dove-like eyes. Yes, the sacrifice was great, appalling. Alone with her own heart, that night Hildred quailed. She suffered most pain from a keen sense of the cruelty of the position in which she had found herself. The dawn of Christmas morning shone upon a wildly haggard face gazing out upon its brightness from an ivied-window. Hildred's eyes had not closed in sleep that night. Vivid pictures, devil-suggested of things that might have been, presented themselves to her fancy. She had seen herself acting out, scene after scene, a proudly-happy life, as Erle Lyneward's wife; and she had felt no power to bid the tempter get behind her. It seemed as if her all of strength had been exhausted in that final master-stroke put to her own dark destiny; as if she now lay weak and weary and utterly defenceless at the mercy of all evil suggestions. Happily her bitter words of indignant upbraiding had firmly closed the door of that proud heart against herself. The dawn grew into bright day; the sun shone full into her room; the birds twittered busily among the scarlet berries of the holly without; and soon she heard Millie singing a quaint, pathetic scrap of old Christmas-song, as she waited below for her sister's coming. The whole world then, like Millie's hymn, was rejoicing in peace and good-will? She only was torn by inward strife, and utterly abandoned, even by her own poor pride. But there was something yet to be borne and done! Had she come so far and could she not drag herself one step further, before she lay down, finally, to die? It was yet possible to madden Erle and to make Millie miserable, though it it was too late to help herself. Should she spoil all now, at the last hour? No! She found strength enough to battle on a little longer. She dressed hastily, but neatly; dashed ice-cold water into her face, and dried it so roughly that the delicate skin glowed again; and, before that glow had time to fade, or a practised smile to die away from her mouth, she had joined Millie; had given her all fair good wishes of the season, and borne the mockery of having them returned to her with many a soft kiss and fond word. "And now to breakfast," Hildred said; "for it is late, and Erle will be here directly to take you to church." "And you will come with us?" Millie asked. "No! I shall spend this happy Christmas morning alone. I am not well." Hildred answered. "And yet you had such a color when you came down! Let me stay with you! I had much rather." "Certainly not; there's no occasion. Millie, have you not found out yet, child, that I love my own company better than even yours?" Hildred hurried back to her own room before Mr. Lyneward came to fetch Millie. She could not have met him calmly. But when they were gone, he and Millie and the servants; when all the country people, churchward bound, had passed along the road, Hildred felt that she could not bear the great quiet that fell upon the house. The church grew dim and dusky-she could read no longer, but she prayed. The silent shining-in of the sun; the way | faded out altogether. Still Hildred knelt it lay still and serene upon all it touched, on. even upon her, was maddening. She could not bear to remain there, alone. She would go to church, too. It was a sudden resolve, suddenly executed. A frenzied fear of being too late appeared to seize her. She did not mean to go to the village-church, where Millie and Erle, and many people who knew her, were; but to a little old church on the other side of the hill, to which but very few ever went. She reached it at last, with difficulty; for she found herself very weak, and her trembling eagerness defeated itself. She made her way into a curtained pew, once a long dead-and-dust squire's. It was musty, dusty, and deserted. She crouched down in a corner where no one could see her. As she passed out of the then dark church, the sexton an old, lame man—was coming in with a lantern to put away the books and lock it up; a task neglected till then for his Christmas dinner. He drew back aghast as Hildred gently bade him good night, and looked with awe after the tall figure that soon disappeared in the darkness. He hurried over his duties and hobbled back to his fireside; where, no doubt, he told a grim ghost-story; of having seen, and been spoken to by, the longdeceased lady of a long-deceased squire, in the church-porch, after dark, to very credulous listeners. Erle and Millie had been anxiously expecting her for a long time-Millie had even urged Erle to go and seek her-but he, saying that most likely she had only gone for one of her mad rambles, excused himself from doing so. And as they wait During the hour that Hildred passed in that old faded pew, listening, hardly conscious that she did listen, to holy words often heard before, a new chord was struck within her. Some will call this un-ed and the night fell, Erle Lyneward had natural, improbable; I say it is not so, but simply and only mysterious. It was solely one of God's providences (of which so many talk, in which so few firmly believe); an instance of his infinite mercy in providing for a soul in sore and utmost need. Millie's words came back to Hildred's mind. She remembered Millie's saying, that those do not suffer thoroughly who do not suffer patiently. After thinking of this, Hildred did not know distinctly what she heard. The service was over, the few worshippers gone home to happy firesides and Christmas mirth; yet she sat still, unconscious that not another human being was in the little church, and that the old door was shut upon her. Hildred was glad when she found that she was alone. She came out of her corner, went up the aisle, to the communiontable, knelt there and opened the great Bible. She found grand, great, glorious words -words that filled her excited mind with awful joy-appealing to her glowing imagination and her power of heroic selfsacrifice. The sun descended lower in the heavens, slanted in at a little stained west window, and threw hues of soft amethyst and of golden glory upon the fine dark head bent low in reverent worship. Then it made a short humiliating confession of his weakness and sinfulness. And Millie ? She pitied him, smiled upon him and forgave him, quite content with his assurance that now he loved her only. Erle did not tell Millie who had been the object of his fierce love, and she did not ask; he had spoken too bitterly and harshly of Hildred. Neither ever alluded to that subject again; neither ever knew of Hildred's devotion. Mr. Lyneward's manner that evening when he first met Hildred was full of troubled consciousness; but she set him at ease. She stayed with them all the time, because it was the evening of Christmas day, and because her heart was at once softened and strengthened. She was loving to Millie, and so friendly to Erle, that Millie's sweet face brightened into pure, unalloyed gladness. The marriage took place a few days after. To the last, Hildred was full of motherly affectionateness to motherless Millie. She made Erle Lyneward feel that she accepted him as a brother; forgiving him his sin against his sister, and asking forgiveness herself only for the harsh way in which she had rejected and upbraided him then. It was a very hard time, but Hildred got through it. She filled Milllie's cup of joy as full as she could-made her sacrifice as complete as she was able, for she |