shoulders, and upon her white muslin dressing-gown,
and she looked most beautiful—half
pleasant, half angry—as she turned round;
and, trying to frown with her eyes, whilst her
lips smiled, said—

"Cle., you are the most intolerable girl in
the world."

Cle. smiled, looked down, and said nothing.

"You may as well tell me, though."

"No, I won't, unless you will be a true girl
—own what you ought to own—say what you
ought to say- that you do not quite hate him.
You really may say that—and then we will
see about it."

"Hate him! Did I say I hated him?"

"Or, pretended you did. Or, that he was
indifferent to you."

"Well, well; I don't hate him, then."

"Then come here, and sit down by me, and
I will tell you that Lionel loves you, and
adores you—and all that. Very easily said.
But far more than that—and with great
difficulty said—he wishes to make you his
wife!"

"Ah me!"—and again the colour flashed
into her face, and such an expression was
visible in her eyes!

Suddenly she threw her arms round her
sister, and embraced her tenderly.

"You dear, dear girl." she whispered
"Oh, I am so—so happy! But tell me—tell
me all, from the beginning. Lionel!—is it
possible?"

"You thought we were very busy talking
together to-night, at Mrs. White's ball, didn't
you?—You were a little jealous, were you not,
you silly thing? Ah, my Ella! My proud—
proud Ella! To have made such a tumble
into love!"

"Nonsense!- how you talk! But tell me
all he said. Every single word of it!"

"He said he loved you more than his life,
and all that sort of thing; and that I must
tell you so to-night; and, if you would give
him the least atom of encouragement, I was
to take no notice, and he would speak to papa
and mamma immediately; but, if you hated
him as much as I said I was sure you
did...."

"How could you say such a stupid thing?"

"I thought that was what I ought to say."

"How foolish you are, Cle.! Well?"

"Well, in that case, I was to write. Shall I
write?"

She did not write.

And from this time the existence of Ella
was changed.

She loved, with all the fervour and energy
of her nature; and life took at once a new
colour. True love is of the infinite. None
can have deeply loved—when or how in other
respects it may have been—but they have
entered into the unseen world; have breathed
a new breath of life; have tasted of the true
existence.

What is often called love, may do nothing
of all this—but I am speaking of true love.

Lionel seemed at that time scarcely worthy
of the passion he had inspired. Yet he had
many excellent qualities. He was warm-hearted,
generous to excess, had good parts,
a brilliant way of talking, and was a favourite
with all the world.

He had not the splendid gifts which nature
had bestowed upon Julian Winstanley. By
the side of her father, even in the eyes of
Ella, the bright halo which surrounded her
lover would seem somewhat to pale. The
young man even appeared to feel this, in
some degree, himself. He always, yet
with a certain grace, took the second place,
when in her father's presence. Ella loved
her father, and seemed to like that it should
be so.

"Oh, my sister! oh, my friend! what—
what shall we do? Oh, misery! misery!
what is to become of us all?"

Clementina's eyes were swimming with
tears; but she would not give way. In
passive endurance she excelled her sister.

She held her arms clasped closely round
her; whilst Ella poured a torrent of tears
upon her bosom.

"My father! my beautiful, clever, indulgent
father, that I was so proud of—that I
loved so—who spared nothing upon either of
us—alas! alas! how little, little, did I guess
whence the money came!"

Clementina trembled and shivered as her
sister poured forth these passionate lamentations;
but she neither wept nor spoke for
some time. At last she said:

"Ella, I have been uneasy about things for
some time. We are young, and we have not
much experience in the ways of the world;
but since our poor mother died, and I have
had in some degree to manage the house, I
have been every day becoming more uncomfortable."

"You have?" said Ella, lifting up her
head; "and you never told me!"

"Why should I have told you? why should
I have disturbed your dream of happiness,
my dear Ella? Besides, I hoped that it concerned
me alone—that things might hold on
a little while longer-- at least, till you were
provided for, and safe."

"Safe! and what was to become of you?"

"I did not much think of that. I had a
firm friend, I knew, in you, Ella; and then,
lately, since mamma's death; since you have
been engaged to dear Lionel, and I have
been much alone, I have thought of old
things—old things that good Matty used to
talk about. I have been endeavouring to
look beyond myself, and this world; and it
has strengthened me."

"You are an excellent creature, Cle.!"

She shook her head.

"But, my father! what is to be done?
Can anything be done?"

"No, my love. I fear nothing can be done."