wanted to carry her off to Australia with him; and Mr. Lyle wanted to send her to Dresden, to the school where Jane had been so happy, thinking that the complete change would be of use to her. And she is a clever little thing,' said he; the brain work would do her good.' But when Katie was told of these plans, she pleaded, with more earnestness than she had shown for months, to be allowed to be of use to mother.

'You see, father,' she said, 'I cannot be merry as I used to be, but I love everybody just as much as ever; and if you let me do this, Jane and Lucy can be happy, and I shall be of use to mother. Don't send me away, father. At first the place nearly killed me, now it would be hard to leave it; and poor Aunt Cassie has no one but me.'

'You shall do as you wish, my little Katie. Child, I seldom speak to you about it, but you must not think that mother and I are blind to the struggle you make. Only time, my dear, can soften the blow to you, or to us. All this restored prosperity would I give, Katie, and leave Valehead to earn daily bread by daily labour, if I could bring our boy back to us.'

'Bring him back from heaven,' Katie said thoughtfully, 'perhaps to feel one day as I do now? I don't know, father. What I should like, would be to go there too.' 'But for that, my child, you and all of us must await our call. Do you remember saying to me once," We don't know why this sorrow comes; we only know that God loves us," and the reason you gave for knowing it?'

'I remember that day well,' Katie said,' and every word that was said.'

be

That is true still, dear.'

'O father, I know it; I feel it in my heart. I cannot merry; but indeed I don't murmur now.'

So Katie was to be 'mother's right hand,' as they used. to call Lucy.

Mr. Melvil, Jane's lover, made his appearance next day, —a handsome man of about forty, a scholar and a gentleman, with a small private fortune, and a good living. He seemed very much in love, to those who were used only to Hugh Fair's leisurely love-making. The young people held him in considerable awe, and rather wondered at Jenny's taste; but he made himself acceptable to the heads of the house, and Jane looked brilliantly happy. It was arranged that she and Lucy should be married on the same day. One of Jane's pupils begged to be allowed to be her bridesmaid, and Katie was to be bridesmaid to Lucy.

If I were to describe the wedding, I should never get to the end of my story, so I shall content myself with saying that they were married on a bright June day, and that a more complete contrast than the two parties presented has surely seldom been seen. For Lucy was only a fresh, comely, sweet-looking girl, and her bridegroom was a country-looking young fellow, and they were both awkward from bashfulness. Lucy found her long train and veil in her way, and Hugh seemed less happy than usual in his new suit. And Katie, in her pure white dress, with real roses very prettily disposed on it,-Jane having dressed the whole party, herself included,-looked gravely patient; and Uncle Bryan, meeting the far-away gaze of her dark eyes, wondered what she was thinking of. The other bridesmaid was a bright, fair-haired lassie, with a pretty face and smiling blue eyes, which led to no such speculations. And Jane, who was used to long trains, and was, moreover, too beautiful to look awkward in any dress, was well matched by her handsome, dignified-looking husband. So much for the weddings; and now we will leave

Katie to fill her new position, which was no sinecure. For Lucy had helped about Aunt Cassie, as well as in the housekeeping; and there really was a great deal to be done. But Katie was a very clever little body, and could get through much work with very little fuss.

Uncle Bryan returned to Australia soon after the double wedding, and, to the surprise of all, Aunt Charlotte went with him. She seemed touched by his behaviour; and let us hope that she had learned a lesson, and would behave herself well for the future, keeping her temper, and making a home for her husband and son. At all events, as Mr. Lyle said, it was the right thing to do,' and so he was thankful that his brother had done it.

CHAPTER XIII.

A DESPERATE VENTURE.

LL this time where was our poor Bryan, for whom the faithful heart of his little twin sister mourned so fondly? Truly his lot was a very hard one, and he sometimes feared it was perfectly hopeless. For he knew that every one would believe that he had been lost with the rest, and so no efforts would be made for his release. Yet Bryan did not altogether despair. It might be the will of God, he thought, that he should perish among these wretches, and if so, he was glad that Katie and all at home should think that he had gone down with dear old Uncle Jack. But, difficult as escape must be, God could help him to effect it; and with all the simple, undoubting confidence. of a child, child at heart as he still was,-Bryan prayed that he might yet escape, and see his darling Katie and all at home again. For his uncle he wept bitterly, and of poor Aunt Cassie he often thought. Not so much did he think of Katie's sufferings; sometimes the boy contrived to forget that she must think him dead. In fact he had not much time for thinking. He had been well taught by a first-rate sailor, and was himself a clever, handy fellow, and

the crew of the Iron Prince liked many things better than work; and to get possession of Bryan, and set him to do what they ought to be doing, was the origin of many a fight among them. And he always had the cooking to do,— hard work in the hot climates in which they were sailing.

What they were employed about the boy could only guess, for he was allowed to see nothing. If he asked a question, he was promptly knocked down, so he hardly ever ventured on one; for to be injured, and perhaps unable to take advantage of some opportunity for escape, was the thing he most dreaded. The sight of land, or of a sail on the horizon, was the signal for him to be hurried below and put in irons. Sometimes he spent many hours in this way, during which he could hear that there was fighting going on on deck. After these fights he always suspected that there were prisoners in the hold, but he did not dare to attempt to find out, or even to seem curious. Sometimes some of the men were wounded, and then Bryan was in great request, for he was a far better nurse than any one else on board. There can be little doubt that he would have been murdered, sooner or later, if only to rid his masters of the trouble of watching him, if he had not been so useful. Many a blow did he get to hasten him at his tasks, but his services were too valuable to the crew for any of them to run the risk of injuring him. I believe, indeed, that some of them got quite fond of him; and he had a protector in Carr, the tall Englishman who had saved his life. This man frequently sounded him as to whether he would join the crew, when of course he would have had far more liberty, but Bryan would not even pretend to think of it. He had but too good a notion as to their horrid trade. Many a harrowing tale might I tell of scenes of alternate revelling and quarrelling, of which