As I may not have occasion again to revert to the family of Mrs. Russel, I will here say, that having learned from Mr. Knowles that Miss Edmond's guardian refused to give her the money asked for, she was obliged to relinquish the house. She moved to a town at a distance, Helen expressing her kind wishes by enclosing to her a twenty-dollar bill from her quarterly allowance. But to go back from this digression. On their return from Mottville, Mr. Knowles carefully avoided all mention of Mr. Tracy. And though Helen tried to ascertain what had caused Sybil's strange conduct, he ingeniously turned the conversation in another direction. He drove to Woodbine Cottage, and left her with a caress unusually tender, replying to her earnestly expressed wish that everybody, referring to her guardian, would let her alone, and not be writing letters to disturb her happiness, with the inspired words: "'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.'" "Thank you," she answered, the tears springing to her eyes. "Please come to dinner as early as you can." There was still an hour or two before she could expect them, as the morning was not more than half gone. But she had only returned to the parlor after making her toilet for the day, and selected the sheet of music she intended to practise, before she heard a manly step crackling on the gravel walk before the house. At any time previous to her recent escape, she would have run to the door and herself admitted the visitor. But now, disregarding the quick snap of the bell-wire, she waited with all the calmness she could summon, the entrance of Frederic, for she was sure it was he. Before she had decided in what manner to receive him, he had taken her hand, and led her to the sofa, where, with some embarrassment of manner, he seated himself beside her. An hour or two later, when Mr. Knowles arrived, accompanied by his wife and Sybil, the young clergyman led the blushing girl to his parents, to ask their blessing on the engagement of marriage just formed between them. Laying his hand on her head, the silver-haired pastor repeated the sacred words: "'The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee, . . . the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.'" His wife caught Helen to her breast, and whispered in her ear: "God has answered my prayer for my son. A good wife is a present from the Lord." Sybil at first stood up erect and stiff. Her favorite brother had never confided to her his intentions, and she was taken by surprise, which she especially abhorred. But one timid glance from the young fiancée's appealing eyes, and her stiffness vanished. She seized Helen so warmly, that she almost lifted her from the floor, bestowing kiss after kiss on her glowing cheeks, and then said in a loud voice: "It sha'n't be my fault, Helen Edmond, if you're not the happiest wife in the State."