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There was nothingmore for the present that could serve the purpose which she had in hand "Your uncle is very ill," she murmured

"I was so sorry to hear it"

"We hope now that he may recover For the last two days the doctor has told us that we lad to find that it is so"

"I am sure you are You will see him to-morrow after breakfast He is most anxious to see you I think sometimes you hardly reflect how much you are to him"

"I don't knohy you should say so"

"You had better not speak to hi lady"

"Certainly not,--unless he speaks to h yet But no doubt he will do so before you leave us I hope it , Aunt Mary" To this she said nothing, but bade hiht and he was left alone It was now past ten, and he supposed that Miss Mellerby had coone to her room Why she should avoid him in this way he could not understand But as for Miss Mellerby herself, she was so little to him that he cared not at all whether he did or did not see her All his brightest thoughts were away in County Clare, on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic They ht say what they liked to hiirl whom he had left there His aunt had spoken of the "affair of--the Irish young lady;" and he had quite understood the sneer hich she had irl be as good as any English girl? Of one thing he was quite sure,--that there was much more of real life to be found on the cliffs of Moher than in the glooot up fro absolutely at a loss how to eo to bed, but how terribly dull o to bed at ten o'clock because there was nothing to do And since he had been there his only occupation had been that of listening to his aunt's serht pay too dearly even for being the heir to Scroope After sitting awhile in the dark glooot up and wandered into the large unused dining-roo, with dark flock paper and dark curtains, with dark painted wainscoating below the paper, and huge darkthe portraits of the Scroopes for enerations past, some in armour, soh head-dresses, not beauties by Lely or warriors and statesures, by artists whose works had, unfortunately, beenup and down the roo to realize to hiht be with a wife of his aunt's choosing, and his aunt to keep the house for them, when a door was opened at the end of the room, away from that by which he had entered, and with a soft noiseless step Miss Mellerby entered She did not see hiht of her own candle was in her eyes, and she was startled when he spoke to her His first idea was one of surprise that she should be wandering about the house alone at night "Oh, Mr Neville," she said, "you quite took me by surprise How do you do? I did not expect to meet you here"