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"I shall say what is in my mind without any constraint whatever," said Mrs Arnot "Years ago, Egbert, when once visiting you in prison, to which you had been sent very justly, I said in effect, that in rising above yourself and your circuhthood You cannot knohat deep pleasure I tell you to-night that you are realizing this ideal even beyond my hopes"

"Mrs Arnot," replied Haldane, in a tone that treht, no doubt, I should have been in some other prison-house of hu tone, "in the prison-house of God's justice--if you had not coht me, restrained me, helped me with a patience closely akin to Heaven's own It is the hope and prayer of my life that I may some day prove how I appreciate all that you have done for me But, see; the storood-by," and he lifted her hand to his lips in a ratitude, and also the grace of natural and unstudied action, that there came a rush of tears into the lady's eyes

Laura held out her hand and said: "Mr Haldane, you cannot respect ht me to respect you"

He shook his head at these words, involuntarily inti that she did not know, and never could, but departed without trusting hi tih: "Mr Haldane is mistaken The ice is thin here and there, but I had no idea that there were such depths beneath it"

Mrs Arnot did not reply at once, and when she did perhaps she had infriend, for she only said in a low ht All storms will be over in time"