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'That's not it--I wish it was noat the Old House is not Mr Manston's wife' 'Not--Mr Manston's wife?' 'That is it' Miss Aldclyffe looked blankly at the rector 'Not Mr Manston's wife--who else can she be?' she said simply

'An improper woman of the name of Anne Seaway' Mr Raunham had, in common with other people, noticed the extraordinary interest of Miss Aldclyffe in the well-being of her steward, and had endeavoured to account for it in various ways The extent to which she was shaken by his infor between herself and Manston did not make her a sharer of his secrets, also showed that the tie which bound her to hiun to doubt the latter fact, and now, on finding hiretted that he had not kept his own counsel in the matter This it was too late to do, and he pushed on with his proofs He gave Miss Aldclyffe in detail the grounds of his belief

Before he had done, she recovered the cloak of reserve that she had adopted on his opening the subject

'I ht, after such an elaborate argument,' she replied, 'were it not for one fact, which bears in the contrary direction so pointedly, that nothing but absolute proof can turn it It is that there is no conceivablealone a rity--to venture upon such an extraordinary course of conduct--no motive on earth' 'That was ht--a friend of mine and poor little Cytherea's' 'Ah--and Cytherea,' said Miss Aldclyffe, catching at the idea raised by the name 'That he loved Cytherea--yes and loves her noildly and devotedly, I aer than Mrs Manston--as I shall call her--twice as sweet in disposition, three tiiven her up quietly and suddenly for a common--Mr Raunhalowed in her earnestness

The rector ht now have advanced his second proposition--the possible motive--but for reasons of his own he did not

'Very well, madam I only hope that facts will sustain you in your belief Ask him the question to his face, whether the woman is his wife or no, and see how he receives it' 'I will to-s die of wholesous does' But no sooner had the rector left her presence, than the grain of rew to a tree Her iht's delay It ith the ut arrived to screen her movements Immediately the sun had dropped behind the horizon, and before it was quite dark, she wrapped her cloak around her, softly left the house, and walked erect through the gloomy park in the direction of the old manor-house