have thought so, oh! for so many years, and I have hoped and hoped that you would love him. Oh! why don't you love him, Evelyn ?"

"I do love him very, very much," said Evelyn, earnestly; "but you mean something more than this, Juliet-I am sure you do."

Yes, I mean-I wish that when he is left alone I mean, that when I must die, Evelyn, I wish so very much that he should not be alone;-I should be so glad! it would make me quite happy if you were his wife; and I am sure that he would be happy too. Is there no hope? is it quite impossible?" And she looked, with an imploring glance, into Evelyn's face.

Evelyn was silent, and sate with her eyes bent upon the ground in deep thought. Was it pleasure or was it pain, this new idea, so strangely, so suddenly presented; — not altogether pain, so, at least, said the blush upon her cheek, and the faint smile that played around her lips.

At last, she turned round. "I am not angry, Juliet," she said, with a smile; "you see that, but you must not talk of this any

more.

Mr. Harcourt might not like it. Ι am sure, Juliet, he did not tell you to say this."

"Oh! no, never; and, though I have tried and tried, he never would tell me that he loved you; but I know it as well as if he had told me. Perhaps you will wonder," she continued," how I should know about such a feeling; but, all my life, my pleasure has been to watch papa; and I have seen that he loved you, Evelyn, so clearly, that I sometimes thought you must see it too. Did it never strike you that he did?"

"Not even when-when you were going to be married, Evelyn ?" she said, in a low, hesitating voice; "I saw it then so plainly. I thought you must have seen it."

No, never," she repeated, with a sigh.

"I have often longed to ask you, Evelyn, but I was not sure if it was right; but now, when he must be alone, dear Evelyn, am I wrong to tell you? It would make me so happy that you should be his wife."

"I will think about what you have been

saying, Juliet," said Evelyn, gently; "but don't say any thing more about it till I speak to you again. And now," she continued, bending over her as she saw the flush of excitement on her cheek, "you had better be quiet, and try to sleep."

Juliet smiled, and closed her eyes; and Evelyn sate down again by her side in silence.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Will I not live with thee! will I not cheer thee! Wouldst thou be lonely, then ?—wouldst thou be sad? MISS BAILLIE.

A few days after this conversation, Evelyn was sitting alone in the drawing-room of the house which Mr. Harcourt had taken.

A servant came in to tell her that Dr. Leicester, the physician wished to be allowed to

minutes and speak to her.

before mentioned, come i for a few

"How is Juliet to-day?" she said, going towards him as he entered the room.

He shook his head. "I was coming to speak to you about her, Miss Villars. I was in hopes that she would have recovered her strength, at least, for a time; and from day to day I have delayed to give an unfavourable opinion, but...." and again he shook his head.

"You don't mean that she is very ill, that you are really alarmed about her?" said Evelyn, anxiously even in spite of what Juliet had said, in spite of her own observation of her declining strength, it was so hard to Evelyn to fear that these things had made but a passing impression.

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"I am, indeed," he said, gravely, “very seriously alarmed. The fact is, Miss Villars, that Miss Harcourt's weakness is so great, that the smallest tendency towards inflammation again might have the most fatal consequences. I could not answer for a day. I see that you are shocked at what I say, and I feared it was so; I feared that neither you nor Mr. Harcourt were prepared for what I have to dread. I have just left Mr. Harcourt," he continued, after a slight hesitation; "but I dared not tell him all my fears. His life appears to be so wrapt up in that child, that I dared not destroy his happiness. I trusted," he said, looking gently and anxiously at Evelyn, "that a tenderer hand than mine would undertake to inflict this heavy blow; it will be a blow, for I see he is unprepared,