Mr. Force, who, suffering from a return of his malady, lay on a sofa, pale and patient, but in too much pain to read or to talk. Odalite sat near him, silently working on the silk flower embroidery she had learned to like from her mother’s example. Elva and Rosemary, at a round table, were turning over a set of “views” left by Le on his previous visit. Mrs. Force was opening a newspaper received that morning, and smoothing it out, preparatory to reading it aloud to her family. Suddenly she dropped the paper, covered her face with her hands, and fell back in her chair, wailing forth the words: “Oh, my Lord! my Lord! This is the very hardest thing to bear of all that went before!” CHAPTER III THE NEWS Who that endured them ever shall forget The emotions of that spirit-trying time, When breathless in the mart the couriers met, Early and late, at evening and at prime, When the loud cannon or the merry chime Hail’d news on news, as field was lost or won; When hope, long doubtful, soared at length sublime, And weary eyes awoke as day begun Saw peace’s broad banner rise to meet the rising sun. —SCOTT. The first gun of our Civil War was fired, and its report was heard throughout the civilized world! “Oh, Abel! Oh, Abel!” moaned Mrs. Force, still pale with emotion. “What is it, my dear? Calm yourself! All that you hold nearest and dearest are in this room with you. What trouble can come upon you?” inquired her husband, rising from his couch of pain and limping toward her. She lifted the newspaper from the floor and handed it to him. Lord Enderby looked from one to the other in perplexity. He did not like to ask a question—he waited to hear. Odalite, Wynnette and Elva also waited in anxious suspense for their father to explain. Not so Rosemary. Her agony of anxiety burst forth at length in a cry: “Oh, Mr. Force! is my mother dead, or what?” “No one is dead, my child. And no special evil has come to you,” said Abel Force. Then speaking to his expectant friends, he said: “There is a civil war at home.” His explanation was like a bombshell dropped in their midst. All shrank away aghast and in silence. Before any one recovered speech the door was thrown open, and Le burst in the room in great excitement. “You have heard the news!” he cried; and that was his only greeting. “Yes, we have heard the news,” gravely replied Mr. Force. “I have come to bid you good-by. The mail that brought the news brought dispatches from the navy department ordering our ship home. We sail with the next tide; that will be in an hour. Good-by! good-by!” he said, beside himself with mingled emotions, as he hurried from one to another, taking each in his arms for a last embrace.