happy hour which united them, as Charles Cornish and Phillis Maitland; as they walked home together, hand locked in hand, heart answering to heart, seeking with lingering steps to prolong the brief and blissful time they shared together.

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CHAPTER XVI.

AU REVOIR.

CONTRARY to Phillis' expectations, Mrs. Cornish made no active opposition to her son's engagement. Surprise at the nature of his choice she certainly evinced, but if she felt disapprobation also, she was careful to conceal it. She even went so far as to express her pleasure that dear Charlie, in his selection of a wife, should have been influenced by the sterling qualities which Miss Maitland so undoubtedly possessed, instead of being led away by any mere showy attractions of mind or person, like too many young men.' In fact, had Phillis been a middle-aged dowdy, with exclusive talents for stocking-mending and pudding-making, Mrs. Cornish's approbation might have been expressed in words of much the same tenour.

Poor girl! she had little sympathy or support in this hour, when she had most need of a mother's care, or a sister's love; when her affections were pulling her hard, and what she conceived to be her better judgment commanding her to pause and reconsider her decision.

When she tried to open her heart to Charlie's

mother, and implored her by the mutual love they bore him, to tell her if she thought that an engagement at his age, and to a woman practically older than himself, would in truth be bad for him-Mrs. Cornish replied in a tone of cold matter-of-fact, that she always considered that an early marriage helped to steady a young man ; but as regarded her son and Miss Maitland's suitability to one another, she, of course, was not the person to decide; they must judge for themselves.

But the real decision as to the feasibility of the marriage did not lie with Mrs. Cornish, as she was careful to remind her son, and inform Phillis. Her late husband's brother, Mr. Henry Cornish, had been Charlie's guardian, and was still to some extent the arbiter of his destiny; and to him therefore must application be instantly made.

'Dear Charlie had been rather variable in his choice of a profession, and his uncle had had reason for not being quite pleased with him of late (Phillis winced at this allusion), so it was quite possible that he might not regard his nephew's proposed engagement with a favourable eye, nor be inclined to offer the assistance without which the young people could not marry; but still———'

Phillis saw that Mrs. Cornish expected, and she could not help thinking wished for, nothing but a decided opposition from the virtual head of the family; and her own heart died within her. There were times when she did not know what she wished for herself

so harassed was she by doubts and fears on either side, and many contending influences. But when the answer from Mr. Henry Cornish at length arrived, she was the only person who was really satisfied with its tenour; though the actual contents of the letter her lover took care that she should never know. It was written in a tone of contemptuous sarcasm which stung the young man to the quick, and seemed to him for the moment to rob the consent which it contained of its value. For Mr. Cornish senior put no obstacles in the way of his nephew's marriage; on the contrary, he expressed his satisfaction that Charles should have formed a real solid attachment, and was quite willing to forward his marriage with Miss Maitland (or Miss Anybody who was of respectable birth and education), provided that the young man himself remained faithful to his choice. But past experience of his nephew's fickleness of purpose and instability of conduct had forbidden him to expect constancy or perseverance in anything from him; therefore, for the sake of the young lady, if for no other reason, he insisted upon a year's probation, during which the young people were to have no communication with each other, by letter or otherwise. If at the end of that time they were both of the same mind still, and providing of course that his nephew finished his career at Oxford with credit, and was ready to settle down at once to some profession, he, Charlie's uncle, would be quite ready to fulfil his part of the compact by settling

the young couple comfortably in life. He only wished he could expect to be called upon to perform his promise,' was the old gentleman's concluding sentence.

This was the letter which caused Charles to rave against what was in reality a kind enough decision, though not kindly given; while Mrs. Cornish thought her brother-in-law was a great deal too hard on her son for a few youthful follies and caprices, which were common to all young men. As to the 'engagement' (as Charles insisted on calling it) between him and Miss Maitland, the mother chose rather to ignore it; though she could not refuse the lovers a parting interview, after which Mr. Cornish was to take his immediate departure.

It was a short pause of feeling for them both, after the turmoil of emotion, the uncertainty and trouble of the last few days. To-morrow they would separate for the long year of parting which lay before them, but to-day they were together and united. enough.

It was

Phillis was

They did not speak much at first. seated under a tree on the wooded slopes of Münster, where they had chosen to have their last meeting, and Charlie was lying along the ground at her side. Occasionally he would stroke her hand or smooth her dress, and then their eyes would meet with a little smile.

'What an arch-deceiver you are!' He spoke the words playfully and tenderly, yet with an accent of reproach.