'Death, with most grim and griesly visage seene,
Yet is he nought but parting of the breath;
Ne ought to see, but like a shade to weene,
Unbodied, unsoul'd, unheard, unseene.'-SPENSER.

INTERING the kitchen, Katharine's
eyes met an unexpected sight. In

the centre of the room stood Crier,

while Mrs. Holden hovered about timidly. He looked white and excited; and as Katharine came in, both he and Mrs. Holden turned towards her.

Eh, I'm fain to see you, Miss,' said Mrs. Holden, looking relieved.

Katharine demanded of Crier, in no very courteous tone, what he wanted.

'I want to see Sara,' he answered, but not

violently. He spoke quietly, but with a look

of desperation.

Seeing that Katharine's lips were open to utter a curt refusal, he added, approaching her, and laying his hand upon her sleeve—

'Oh, Miss Healey, I only ask for a right! Yon poor lass has been the light of my eyes ever since I knew her. Ten years ago, when I came here, she was a bonny little lass, that I loved as soon as I saw her. Since she was sixteen I've loved her, and hoped to make her my wife; and if I might have doneoh, my God! she would not have been dying now.'

He paused, pressing his lips together and clasping his hands.

Katharine was moved.

Again she recog

nised what a love this was; and was forced to own that, had it been a successful one, the fate of herself and of some others might have been much happier than it actually

was.

I am sorry for you,' she said, as gently

as she could.

'I would only say farewell to her,' said he, eagerly. 'She's dying, they say; you know is she?'

'I fear so.'

'Then you cannot deny me one word with her. Oh!' and he struck his hands together as if smitten with sudden horror at some thought. 'Let me see her once-once before we part. It will be the last time to all eternity, for she will go to heaven, and I' (with a low laugh, at which Katharine shuddered) 'I shall never be there to meet her I shall never go there to seek her.'

He ended with a sigh only a trifle less ghastly than his laugh.

'No,' said Katharine, 'it will distress her too much. It will most likely hurry on the end. I cannot permit it. I dare not.'

'Let me only see her,' he implored. 'I will

not speak; I will only look. I will not make a sound. Oh! you are not going to refuse?'

'Listen,' said Katharine, seeing there was no other way in which to end his ravings; 'Sara is in my room. I left her lying on the couch; she is probably asleep. If you will neither speak nor enter the room you shall see her.'

'Yes, yes!' said he eagerly, and followed her noiselessly.

Katharine opened the door softly, and looked in first, herself. Sara was lying still, and with closed eyes, upon the couch. She seemed asleep. Turning, Katharine beckoned to Crier, and he came to the door.

Katharine stood, tall, grave, silent, holding the handle of the door with one hand, while with the other she motioned back Crier from intruding too far within the precincts of that shrine; for was it not a shrine — awaiting the descent of its possessor, Death?

He gazed with wide-open eyes and com

pressed lips upon the face-the shadow of Sara's face as if he were learning by heart each lineament, and waiting until all should be engraven upon his heart. At last, turning away with a sort of silent sob, he murmured, and Katharine heard him

'Ay! murdered! But you shall be avenged, Sara; you shall be avenged!'

Then he turned and went away, nor troubled them again any more about Sara.

When Crier had gone, and Katharine had taken off her bonnet and shawl, she returned to Sara, prepared to spend the evening with her. She found that her mother had taken her to bed, and she was now awake. Her eyes fixed themselves wistfully upon Katharine. The latter did not speak; what, indeed, had she to say? but she felt those silent, questioning eyes in every nerve At last she took up a book, and tried to read;

it was but a pretence she was wishing