"No, mother," said Julia, as she laid her head beside her, and gazed dreamily before her; "I don't think he asked me." "But, my child--you said--" "Yes, mother dear," said Julia innocently, "I hardly know how it came about. It has always seemed to me that some day I should be his wife. Why, I have always loved him! How could I help it?" Mrs Hallam laid her hand upon her child's glossy hair, and closed her eyes, wondering in herself at the simple, truthful words she had heard. One moment she felt pained, and as if it ought not to be; the next, a flood of joy seemed to send a wave through her breast, as she thought of the days when Julia would be alone in the world, and in whose charge would she rather have left her than in that of Christie Bayle? The battle went on at intervals for days; but at last it was at an end, and she lay back calmly as she said to herself: "Yes, it is right. Now I can be at rest!" Another month passed. Doctor Woodhouse came, as was his custom, more as a friend than from the belief that his knowledge could be of any avail. One particular morning he stopped to lunch, and went up again afterwards to see Mrs Hallam, staying some little time. He left Julia with her, and came down to where Sir Gordon was seated on the lawn with Bayle. The latter started up, as he saw the doctor's face, and his eyes asked him mutely for an explanation of his look. The doctor answered him as mutely, while Sir Gordon saw it, and rose to stand agitatedly by his chair. "Bayle," he whispered; "I thought I was prepared, but now it has come it seems very hard to bear!" Bayle glided away into the house, to go upstairs, meeting Thisbe on the way wringing her hands, and blinded with her tears. "I couldn't bear to stop, sir--I couldn't bear to stop," she whispered. "It's come--it's come at last." Bayle entered the room softly, steeling his heart to bear with her he loved some agonising scene. But he paused on the threshold, almost startled by the look of peace upon the wasted face, full in the bright Southern light. Mrs Hallam smiled as she saw him there; and as he crossed the room and knelt by her side, she laid her hand in his, and feebly took Julia's and placed them together. "The rest is coming now," she said. Julia burst into a passion of weeping. "Mother! Mother! If you could but live!" she sobbed. "Live? No, my darling, no. I am so tired--so worn and weary. I should faint now by the way." She closed her eyes, smiling at them tenderly, and for the space of an hour they watched her sleeping peacefully and well. And as Julia sat there with her hands clasped in Christie Bayle's strong palms, a feeling of hopefulness and peace, to which she had long been a stranger, came into her heart. The doctor had once said that there might be a change for the better if his patient's mind were at rest, and that rest seemed to have come at last.