“Why, what's the matter, Molly? Is Papa ill—or Archie? Why don't you speak? Are you stupid? '

"No, Miss Katty, darlint: it's nayther the one nor the t'other, its-ogh-ochone-' and Molly set up a howl, which brought the other servant from the kitchen. "What's the matter? Where's Papa-where's Archie?'

66

"They're both at the Point, shure, and there's nothing the matter with them at all-at all. So don't be worryin yerself, Miss Katty.'

“But what has happened? Tell me at once.'

“Shure, we don't rightly know, Miss Katty; only Mr. Fred and the beautiful lady wid the lovely skin is missin wid the big boat—that's all. There's nothin for ye to be fashin yerself about, an it's an omadhaun that Molly is to be tellin ye a word about it.'

"I was soon up and dressed, and over at Lisnamore, where I found that Paul and Fred had had words in the library last night, or rather in the morning after the visitors had gone; that no one knew what about, but that about eleven o'clock Mrs. Bellenden's maid had announced the startling fact that her mistress was not to be found, and that her bed had not been slept in. This led to the discovery that Fred also was missing, and soon that the small boat was not to be found; the big boat, contrary to Molly's assertion, was not missing. Paul had declared positively that he had firmly secured it after taking me home, and he, my father, and Archie had started in different directions to search for the fugitives.

"I asked to see Mrs. Monroe, but she refused to see me or any one else. Her maid told me that Paul had kept back the fact of Mrs. Bellenden being missing also, and that she was under the impression that Fred had gone in consequence of the quarrel with his brother. At first I could not understand the alarm manifested, but after talking to Pat Mooney, the old

boatman, I shared it, for I learned that between seven and eight, before the rain commenced, there had been what he called a pretty stiff squall, and they feared that, if Fred had taken the boat northwards, she must have been upset. There was nothing for me to do but go home, and wait and think; so, leaving word that if Mrs. Monroe would consent to see me they were to signal for me at once, I came home, and waited and watched. It was the longest day I ever spent, though I had left my bed later than I had ever done in my life. At last, about eleven at night, my father and Archie returned, looking so wan and weary, but with no tidings of the lost. All that had been learned was that Fred had, while yet the people were dancing, got one of the men to go to B- where he was to hire a vehicle of some sort, and have it waiting as near the lake as possible, ready to drive him to the station at M-, where they could catch a train for Belfast, and it was supposed they intended leaving Ireland by one of the many packets which start from there; but this was all supposition. No one had seen Fred since he left Paul, who owned there had been a more serious quarrel between them than ever before during their lives; but refused to say on what grounds they quarrelled. Archie seemed to take Fred's side, and to think Paul in fault, but my father said that always Paul had loved and cared for Fred more like a favourite son than a brother, and that he believed his silence was more the effort to shield his brother than himself. He told me not to trouble my head more than I could help about the sad affair, but to go to bed hoping for the best.

"I went to bed, but not to sleep; and about daybreak heard some one throw stones at Archie's window, and, when it was opened, ask him to 'come for God's sake and bring the masther.'

"As they passed my door I begged them to tell me everything, and father bade me go back to my bed, and

he would tell me as soon as he could, but that he could not till he knew himself.

"About ten o'clock he came in, and I knew at once he had bad news to tell. It was soon told; the boat had been found upside down, not far from B—— early in the morning, and later on the two bodies. Mrs. Bellenden had evidently clung so tightly to Fred that he had been unable to get to land, and both had gone down together, and, said father, as usual, the innocent must suffer with the guilty. The shock will kill his mother; the doctors fear she has but a few hours to live, and all this misery has been caused through that wicked—'

"He stopped, and, putting his hand on my head, said

"God in His mercy keep my little motherless girl safe and pure, or take her to the shelter of His own Almighty arm.'

"He said it so solemnly, and there were tears in his eyes and voice, so that my heart felt full of tears, and I could not speak, but I echoed his prayer in my heart as I put my arms round his neck and kissed him, and then he went away again, saying

"Paul needed him.'

“That night, when he came home, he told me Mrs. Monroe was dead, and next day, I suppose through crossing in the rain, and standing out in the wet, talking to old Pat, I was laid up with a feverish cold, which kept me in bed for many days, and, before I could get out again, Mrs. Monroe and Fred were laid among the many Monroes sleeping in the old church. Paul had left Europe, and the house was shut up as you saw it to-day.

"Ella, I never told the story before-no one knows of the conversation I overheard between Paul and Mrs. Bellenden. You must consider my telling you a proof that I mean to take you for a sister in very deed, as well as word and name—and keep my secret.”

www

"Yes, Katty, I will keep your secret," says Ella, as she kneels down on the rug beside her, and kisses her.

A moment later she starts to her feet, saying

"I hear the horses! still a long way off, but I'll go down-don't come yet. I'll say I'm learning to play mistress like you."

Katty, while telling her story, had sat on the rug, holding her knees with clasped hands, leaning her head on them at times when her voice betrays that, as she expresses it, her "heart is full of tears," but now she rises, and, walking to the fireplace, leans her head on the cold marble for a few minutes, then lifting it, goes to the window, and, looking out into the darkness, cries

“Paul! Paul! why do you not come to me for comfort, as you promised?"

"Sweetheart, I have come.

Give it to me."

Katty, turning with a startled exclamation, finds herself encircled by a pair of strong arms, and it is difficult to say whether she administers or receives most comfort there; certain it is that, finding herself in comfortable quarters, she did not try to leave them, and when the others came in, Ella decided that half Katty's secret was a secret no longer, and that Paul had found a silver lining to his black cloud.

From Seven till Ten.

BY NERISSA.

VERYTHING was prepared-the drawingroom arranged to perfection-extra mats and

antimacassars had been strewn about to inconvenience the unwary; the albums had all been taken up and replaced slightly more askew than usual; the dust had more than once been forced from its accustomed resting place to find another in the same vicinity; the piano had received an extra rub, and stood proudly in its corner redolent with sweet-scented furniture polish. Down in the lower regions (of the house) all hands were at work; the cook had already cut a few thousand, more or less, infinitesimal ham and beef sandwiches, and had stood them on a shelf to get dry. She had placed the jellies, and the should-be white blanc-manges in an elevated place to catch the passing dust; she had begun to make the ices, but that process had been nipped in the bud by the fall of a few dozen plates, which caused everything to be forgotten. The housemaid had already brought to light the best glasses; had polished a few, broken a few, and smeared the rest; she had obtained, with much difficulty and many keys, the best plate, the two crocodiles for salt, the Ojibiway Indian for jam; the owls with perforated heads for pepper; one dozen forks, one dozen spoons, etc. It was rather unfortunate, but the said silver, during the descent to the kitchen, was suddenly deposited on the ground, which little episode caused the assemblage of the whole household on to one stair, whereupon was found, after much pushing and noise, that the Ojibiway's arm was broken, and a crocodile's eye was pushed in with a fork, which misfortune caused the maimed ones, with many others, to be immured