THE PANELLED HOUSE. 199

no meaning to her just then, had she heard them
spoken; but the power of the music was behind
them, and brought a message of comfort such as
she sorely needed, poor child! Not utterly for-
saken, not utterly forgotten: crushed, but not

{ |
broken, the power of reason began to reassert itself,

and Nest, her brain relieved by the tears, and
brought back to herself by the music, gathered her
thoughts like one recovering consciousness after a
swoon, Though she felt weak and stiff, as if it
had been her body that had been hurt, she stood
up at the end of the service, and walked with slow
steps into the nave, where she sat down. She felt
that she must have a longer rest before she could
walk the two miles which lay between her and
home.

But with the awakening of her mental power, a
sore struggle came upon Nest. She was not in-

| clined to give up her love without a conflict.
“He was mine first, before Flora took him from
me,” she said rebelliously, “‘ why should I give him
up to her? I know Colonel Armyn would never
Jet her marry him, if he knew how she has behaved ;
and then, if he did not see her, he might come to
care for me again. I know he would! He cared
for me first, it is only that Flora has bewitched
him, so that he forgets me when she is there. I
will tell Colonel Armyn. I know he will take my
part, if no one else will! It was all her doing, I
know, not Edward’s; he could not have been so
false, and so cruel. And what have I done to
deserve it? Have I not always trusted him? Yes,
I will tell Colonel Armyn, and he will see me
righted.”

But even at the same time, Nest felt another
voice in her heart, hushing the angry tumult of
her passion. ‘Hush! you have been wronged,
but it is not always right or wise to insist on the
trumpeting of your wrongs. Suppose Edward
does love Flora, and not you?”

And then Nest, with the new light that the
present throws upon the past, recalled words, looks,
and tones, little things that might have bewildered
her mind, and raised her suspicions had she not
been so unsuspectingly eredulous. Perhaps it was
true. Perhaps Edward loved Flora better than
her. No doubt it was her fault; she could not be
worthy of his love if she had lost it; but no hasty
step on her part should visit it upon him. She
would wait before she decided what to do. And
first of all, she must rouse herself to get home, or
they would be uneasy about her. Nest rose, and
walked wearily out of the cathedral, through the
narrow old-fashioned streets, past the houses, up
into the Lyke road. Slowly, for she was very
tired, almost too tired to think, She seemed to
have grown years older in the last two hours.
Happily for her, the heat of the day was over, and

|) -__ nesCr

a cool breeze had sprung up, and the clear evening
sunlight and gleaming river brought to her some-
thing of the same sensation that she had felt during
the anthem in the cathedral. There was a haven
of peace somewhere, though she was still tossed
about on the stormy sea of suffering aud perplexity,
and even that conviction was like an anchor to
poor Nest’s troubled heart.

She went to bed as soon as she got back, alleging
a headache as the cause, and not untruly. Aunt
Hermy was alarmed, lest she should have had a
sun-stroke, and insisted on bathing her forehead
with vinegar, but Nest was thankful when she was
left alone. She lay awake the greater part of the
night, thinking ; towards morning she fell into a
heavy sleep, and forgot her troubles for the time.

casa ane ne a nn

12
DIVIDED.
Take my share of a fickle heart,
Mine of a paltry love:
Take it, or leave it, as you will,
I wash my hands thereof.
G. RossErri.
Wiyny entered Nest’s room very softly the next
morning, with a letter in her hand. Nest was
awake, but her eyes were red and swelled as if she
had been erying.

“JT am afraid your head is no better, poor thing,”
said the younger sister, laying her light hand on
Nest’s forehead. “This letter came from the
Manor for you yesterday evening, Nest dear, and
we would not disturb you to bring it you then.”

Nest opened the note with eager fingers, and
read,—

“May I come up to explain to-morrow morning ?
Please don’t say any thing before I have seen you.
I will come directly after breakfast.

“Frora ARMYN.”

“T must get up,” said Nest. ‘‘ My headache is
all right, thank you, Winny ; and Flora is coming
to see me this morning.”

“You look as if bed was your proper place,”

| said Winny ; “you are as white as a sheet.”

«“ Never mind: please don’t notice me, and don’t
say any thing to the aunts about me,” said Nest, so
desperately that Winny was sure that something
was amiss. However, perceiving that she was
not to get any thing more out of Nest just then,
she wisely withdrew.

The thoughts of the night had brought Tesolu |
tion to Nest, and her resolution had taken exactly
the opposite shape from what her first impulse had
been. Maidenly dignity and unselfishness had
conquered the first desire to grasp at her rights at
all hazards. If Edward loved Flora better than

| herself, she would release him; and instead of