tom, an early betrothal, having prevailed among her relatives at home. But, in this case, the marriage was not to take place for some years to come.

One evening, it was the last on which dear Mildred was to be with us, our whole family were gathered in the south parlor, some of our relatives and a few guests were there. Miss Standish was with us for a short time, not having returned to Umberhurst after my sister's wedding.

Mamma was looking pleased and very lovely. She was not to part immediately from Mildred, as with Rose and Edgar, she was to go with the newly wedded on their bridal

tour.

Miss Standish sang, and her rich and highly cultivated voice was a fine accompaniment to Miss Browne's splendid playing. Both were fine, but my eyes turned from all others to Haidee. It might have been in some degree the new interest which invested the little lady, her own dawning hap piness, and a consciousness of her father's pleasure, but this night she was beautiful exceedingly.

The satin dress of pale rose color, edged at the sleeves and round the neck with a rich lace, over which fell in loops and chains a necklace of emeralds, sparkling in the pale, lucid light, her dark wavy hair partially confined by a slender chain of gold, and fastened on her forehead by a ruby clasp, became her well. No one could possibly have mistaken her foreign birth. The brilliant olive complexion, the dark, almond-shaped and lustrous eyes, the silken gloss of her raven hair with its peculiar wave, the coral lips, and over all the soft harmony of voice, told of warmer blood than ours. She sat in seeming, the youthful queen of the

East.

Her mother must have been very handsome, yes, but darker and heavier.

Edgar sat near and sometimes addressed her by a gentle look or word, but for all this, an expression of sadness, soft, fond, bewitching, was stealing over that dear face.

I guessed the cause, but believed Haidee to be unconscious that any feeling was betrayed, so gentle was her demeanor. In the morning, Edgar was to leave us, for some months, at least. She had so few to love, Edgar I knew was very dear to her, and this was her first parting, save that one sad and last parting with her mother some years before.

With this thought, I went softly to her, and slid my arm tenderly around her. She looked up quickly and a tear fell from her lovely eyes. I shall never forget that tear. It was the first, but not the last I saw her shed-this was but a gentle regret, others I have seen raining from those passion

ate eyes.

Captain Stanly Hastings had at first intended to join the bridal tourists. Haidee had wished to go, and Miss Browne was pleased with the idea of seeing something more of this barbarous land. Edgar was eloquent in argument and per suasion to that effect-but to this plan, aunt Frances objected. She had, as yet, seen little of her brother, she would have him at Umberhurst. She wished to be more acquainted with his daughter, her house was large enough to entertain them all, indeed they would be very happy.

Seldom were aunt Frances' arguments resisted, her determined will, never. Her children were well taught and obedient, her husband always found her plans and reasons too wise to be slighted. So in this case, the simple though earnest wishes of the many, yielded to the compound wish of one, and uncle Hastings decided to spend the period of mamma's absence at Umberhurst, making, in the meantime, various excursions into the country.

There was as little leave-taking as consistent with the affectionate regard in which we lived, and each strove to render the parting as cheerful as possible.

Many of us walked down to the boat-landing, where Mildred and her husband, mamma, Edgar, Rose, and Katrine were to embark. Hans and Monica had said good-bye to Katrine up at the house; they were both too staid of habit

to manifest any feeling. "The girl was only going with her mistress for a little jouruey," said they.

* *

But John went down to take mamma and uncle Hastings, Yoppa followed with the trunks and boxes. Meta carried Rose's little satchel, and Susan had a magnificent boquet to present to her at the last moment. The boat came sweeping down the noble river-last kind wishes, words of fondest affection were expressed, and the parting was over, and we returned to the now desolate seeming house. late! How that word burnt into my brain.

Deso

I would not give one moment to vague imaginings. Haidee was very sad, I must comfort her-was it not for that I had remained in Glenelvan? As also to cheer poor papa's loneliness? I would be faithful to my trust.

CHAPTER VIII.

"We are spirits, clad in vails,

Which no human eye can pierce."

A FEW days sufficed for Stanly Hastings and his daughter to become quietly settled at Umberhurst. With this accession to the family, aunt Frances thought it advisable to procure an additional servant, one fitted to be a parlor maid, to accompany Belle and Haidee in their long rambles in the wood, and also when required, to give a willing hand to household duties.

The choice fell upon Phillis's young sister Sarah, who proved to be a person exactly suited to fill this post. She had agreeable manners, was respectful, though she was very proud and very handsome. She would certainly have been a very uncomfortable domestic, if she had met with a mistress who was supercilious or overbearing. But aunt Frances had no faith in the system of " putting down," neither would she for a moment tolerate "stuck-up-ways," but her aim was for the real elevation of her servants.

So, aunt Frances and the handsome Sarah were well-suited to each other. Sarah's home-relations were of the most peculiar order. She, with Phillis and their three brothers, elder than themselves, being the illegitimate children of the late Major Peter Williams, who had shown some considerable degree of courage in action in the war of 1812. Her

ther, Renee, was a brown woman, who had been in the Major's family from her infancy. Renee's mother was probably of African birth, as she belonged in the elder Williams' family, but that cannot now be ascertained with any certainty. Major Williams had been a man of wealth, of fine education and polished manners. He had lived a life-not of ease, but

of idleness, and had spent wholly the fine estate he inherited from his father.

With his paternal estate, he inherited a fondness for the social glass, and in his gay moods, he was often heard to boast of the varied gifts of his two high-spirited, handsome girls-Phillis and Sarah.

But the Major had other family relations, less remarkable. He had married his cousin, Miss Polly Williams, a pretty, pink-faced, lady-like woman, who put on her white silk gloves to go out into the kitchen, and who once cried when, at the dinner, the pastry was found to be overdone. Miss Polly had been quite an heiress, and this accident, instigated her silly mother to deny her any useful occupation. So she grew up a mere plaything, as pretty as a wax doll, and of as little value.

"Other family relations ?" Oh, yes, the Major had besides his pretty baby-faced wife, a large family of children, in no way remarkable for beauty or sprightliness. But these have all gone to heaven, I trust, for they are all dead.

At length, Sarah's mother, Renee, became pious, and then besought the Major to allow her to go away from his house. He finally consented, and she went out to service, and soon united herself to a church and became an eminent christian. Renee chose the sheltering care of the Baptist Church-that being in that region the only one in which women had full liberty to pray and " exhort" in public, and she being a lively christian, could not "hold her peace," so it became a wellconceded fact that Renee's prayers and exhortations on the Sabbath day were a source of never-failing interest to the strangers within those gates.

But her children all remained with Major Williams, and she eventually married a colored man, with whom she lived in great harmony, in her daily prayers remembering her "dear 'panion," pleading fervently for him, that he might become a servant of her Heavenly Master.

Major Peters' days of idleness drew near their close.