reveal to her. Therefore he kept away; and on no other grounds could she account for his long-continued absence. Two o'clock passed--and three, and four, and five. The suspense was fearful to Zillah, so fearful, indeed, that at last she felt that it would be a relief to hear any news--even the worst. At length her suspense was ended. About half past five Obed returned. Anxiety was on his face, and he looked at Zillah with an expression of the deepest pity and commiseration. She on her part advanced to meet him with white lips and trembling frame, and laid on his hand her own, which was like ice. "You have not found her?" she faltered, in a scarce audible voice. Obed shook his head. "She is dead, then!" cried Zillah; "she is dead! She died here--among strangers--in Naples, and I--I delayed in Marseilles!" A deep groan burst from her, and all the anguish of self-reproach and keen remorse swept over her soul. Obed Chute looked at her earnestly and mournfully. "My child," said he, taking her little hand tenderly in both of his--"my poor child--you need not be afraid that your sister is dead. She is alive--as much as you are." "Alive!" cried Zillah, rousing herself from her despair. "Alive! God be thanked! Have you found out that? But where is she?" "Whether God is to be thanked or not I do not know," said Obed; "but it's my solemn belief that she is as much alive as she ever was." "But where is she?" cried Zillah, eagerly. "Have you found out that?" "It would take a man with a head as long as a horse to tell that," said Obed, sententiously. "What do you mean? Have you not found out that? How do you know that she is alive? You only hope so--as I do. You do not know so. Oh, do not, do not keep me in suspense." "I mean," said Obed, slowly and solemnly, "that this sister of yours has never been in Naples; that there is no such steamer in existence as that which she mentions in her letter which you showed me; that there is no such ship, and no such captain, and no such captain's wife, as those which she writes about; that no such person was ever picked up adrift in that way, and brought here, except your own poor innocent, trustful, loving self--you, my poor dear child, who have been betrayed by miserable assassins. And by the Eternal!" cried Obed, with a deeper solemnity in his voice, raising up at the same time his colossal arm and his clenched fist to heaven--"by the Eternal! I swear I'll trace all this out yet, and pay it out in full to these infernal devils!" "Oh, my God!" cried Zillah. "What do you mean? Do you mean that Hilda has not been here at all?" "No such person has ever been in Naples." "Why, was she not picked up adrift? and where could they have taken her?" "She never was picked up. Rely upon that. No such ship as the one she mentions has ever been here." "Then she has written down 'Naples' in mistake," cried Zillah, while a shudder passed through her at Obed's frightful insinuation.