one might have said, for a young bride. No auspices could be more gracious for a wedding. No doubt the experienced would see something ominous of sudden change in the almost unearthly brightness and the strange stillness. Once there came in Weimar an hour of indescribable quiet; the very clouds stood still; the air was breathless in its soft delight: and Goethe knew that an earthquake was impending over some part of the world. Experienced persons who looked up at the skies this day said that a sudden change was coming. But it will not matter to the young bride if only the change keeps off until the sun goes down. The happy omen is complete then. The future of the young wife is supposed to be assured if only the day be genial up to the time of the sun's sinking. Then, come foul weather or fair, it is all the same so far as augury for her is concerned.

Some such thought may have been passing through the mind of Clarkson Fielding on this particular morning as he looked up at the sky. He understood enough of the evidences of the atmosphere and the season to know that a change was coming; but he was glad to think that it was some hours off; and he wished

the sun to shine and give good omen for yet a while. As for Gabrielle, she knew nothing and thought nothing of weather symptoms: she only knew that she was full of happiness, although nervous and tremulous enough withal; and the sun would have shone for her if it were the midst of an arctic winter. It must be owned that Clarkson Fielding was nervous and restless too that morning. When Wilberforce called for him, Clarkson was glad to be compelled to talk. It took him out of himself and his own emotions for the moment. are occasions when even a Briton must be nervous. Wilberforce ventured on some mild pleasantry concerning his brother's evident condition. I didn't think you knew there were such things as nerves,' he said. Clarkson answered good-humouredly and very truly that he had found out in himself a good many emotions lately of which he had not known anything before. Then they went out together.

There

Paulina was waiting in much anxiety and impatience the coming of her confederate. She had adopted the plan which she told him of in order to render her anxiety bearable, and remained in bed until a very advanced hour of the morning. Paulina was a person

of that not uncommon class to whom the most delightful thing after great exertion is the full indulgence of laziness. She was as indolent as she was energetic. When she had nothing better to do she could lie in bed with all the satisfaction that Vendôme himself might have felt. That great soldier, as we are told, never got out of bed except when he could not help it; as, for example, when he had to put in an appearance at court, or to fight the English in the field. Even in his campaigns he lay in bed until it was absolutely necessary that he should get up and take command. Then he jumped up, put on a tremendous spurt of energy, showed that he had all the genius of a true commander ; sometimes, let us acknowledge, giving the English general a good deal more than that officer liked; and then Vendôme went to bed again. Paulina was a sort of feminine Vendôme in alternation of action and repose and equal relish of each in its turn. She was, as a rule, very fond of having her breakfast in bed, and indeed seldom consumed that meal except while lolling there. This one particular morning, however, she was lazy on principle. Mr. Shandy finds that all mental trouble is best endured by mortals in a recumbent posture;

Paulina's philosophy had taught her that this is especially true of anxiety. So she lay in bed until it approached the hour at which Charlton might be expected; and then she got up and dressed.

Her anxiety had more than one cause. She had been a good deal impressed by Charlton's peculiar manner the evening before; and the longer she thought over it, the more she became convinced that it was in some way ominous. While he was with her she was too eager about the news he brought to pay much attention to his odd manner or to her own suspicions; but after he had gone the impression deepened and deepened. Something is up with that chap,' she kept repeating to herself; and she at once thought of treachery. Had he gone over to the other side? Was he up to any dodge of that sort? Was he playing into Fielding's hands, and letting the other side see every card that she and he were preparing to use? When he came at one o'clock, might it perhaps be in the company of the minions of the law about to escort her to prison? Paulina had said very truly to Charlton that she would not care much about punishment if only she got her revenge. But suppose she only got the punishment,

and her enemies had the revenge? Suppose she were dragged off to prison, and while she was there Fielding and Gabrielle got married?

The idea was insufferable. Paulina walked up and down the room restless as a hyena in a cage. She had at one moment a thought of going out to find Charlton, so dreadful did the delay and the suspense begin to seem. But the time was nearly up, and it would be merely absurd to run the risk of losing him altogether by vaguely hunting for him she knew not where. So she kept indoors and waited; if that can be called waitingthat sort of performance which the hyena keeps up in her cage. The last five minutes seemed of neverending length. Paulina hardly took her eyes from the little clock on the chimney-piece; until at last she put her hand over her eyes and said she would not look up again until she heard it strike one. So she walked up and down, seeing nothing but the strip of floor just beneath her feet. At last the little clock piped out the one stroke.

He isn't coming

at all!' Paulina said to herself at once almost before the stroke had ceased to echo. In another mo

ment, however, she heard his foot upon the stairs. He