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246 -i(3 THE PRINCIPAL BOY.

aunt was poor, was reduced to letting lodgings. Lucy her- self had, perhaps, been left penniless. Delicacy had re- strained her from alluding to her poverty in her letter. He had taken everything too much for granted — surely, straitened as were his means, he should have proffered her some assistance. A suspicion that he lacked worldly wis- dom dawned upon him for the first time, as he rang the bell. Poor little Lucy ! Well, whatever she had gone through, the bright days were come at last. The ocean which had severed them for so many weary moons no longer rolled be- tween them — thank God, only the panels of the street-door divided them now. In another instant that darling head — no more the haunting elusive phantom of dream — would be upon his breast. Then as the door opened, the thought flashed upon him that she might not be in — the idea of wait- ing a single moment longer for her turned him sick. But his fears vanished at the encouraging expression on the face of the maid servant who opened the door.

" Miss Gray's upstairs," she mumbled, without waiting for him to speak. And, all intelligent reflection swamped by a great wave of joy, he followed her up one narrow flight of stairs, and passed eagerly into a room to which she pointed. It was a bright, cosy room, prettily furnished, and a cheerful fire crackled on the hearth. There were books and flowers about, and engravings on the walls. The little round table was laid for tea. Everything smiled " welcome." But these details only gradually penetrated Frank's consciousness — for the moment all he saw was that She was not there. Then he became aware of the fire, and moved involuntarily towards it, and held his hands over it, for they were almost numbed with the cold. Straightening himself again, he was startled by his own white face in the glass.

He gazed at it dreamily, and beyond it towards the fold-