Like all very little children, she was inordinately proud of having acquired a new phrase, and said it over and over, until it became singsong, and the childish brain a trifle mixed. She said it, too, until Lucy was nearly mad.

At first the words had set his heart beating violently, as hearts do throb and flutter at bad news; then it calmed down to a dull, dead aching, and the black blankness of utter despair settled down upon him and took complete possession of him.

Mechanically he took off the lid of the bonbon box when the child demanded, "Wamp more sweets now"; and as mechanically opened the door, and then that of the library, when she byand-by issued another imperious command:

"Mat wamp mum-ma now; Mat wamp tea." But when he had seen the little mite safely into the hall, where he could hear, by Mrs. Bootles' soft laugh, the mistress of the house was sitting, he went back into his friend's little den, and shut himself in with his new trouble alone.

It had fallen at last-the blow which he had been dreading so many weary, weary days. It was all over; Mignon had passed out of his life, and he would be nothing more to her now than แ a sort of father."

It was natural enough. St. John Stanley was young, rich, well-born, a handsome lad, and a good lad too, in his way, with a taking manner, even if he had the devil's own temper behind those blazing black eyes of his. It was natural enough; for he was young, and Lucy felt so old-so old!

He filled his pipe again as mechanically as he had taken the lid off Madge's goody box; he even lighted it, and began to smoke furiously. But it did not last; after a few minutes the red glow waxed duller and duller, and presently it went out altogether.

Still he sat there staring into the fire, just for all the world as Bootles had sat twelve years before, when Miss Grace had said positively that she could not marry him.

But it was very different in reality. Captain

Ferrers had known that the woman he loved cared for him; he had seen it in every look and gesture, heard it in every word that fell from her lips. Lucy had no such consolation; on the contrary, the little child's innocent words had sounded in his ears like the death-knell of all his hopes, the death-knell of his love. Mignon had given herself to his rival; and here Lucy laughed aloud at the idea of young Darkey, with his few months of service, standing in such a relation to him. Well, well, as he had said not long ago to Bootles, the old order changes: "The king is dead; long live the king!"

He sat there, holding his neglected pipe between his fingers, for a long time; the blazing fire became one bright red heart, then grew dull, and slipping down in the grate, became no more than a handful of live cinders. Still he sat on, until by-and-by the door burst open, and handsome Pearl appeared upon the threshold.

"Oh, Major Lucy," she began, "mother wants to know if you have finished your letters."

"Yes, Pearl, I have finished," he said, quietly. "Then won't you come to tea? Mother has just had a fresh lot in-and some fresh muffins. Do, Major Lucy."

He roused himself at once. "I will come. I believe I was half asleep," he answered. The Ferrers children were one and all exceedingly fond of him, though they had never been on the same footing of absolute familiarity with him as Mignon had been; but Pearl knew him well enough to slip her hand under his arm, and gabble on about her pony and some wonderful sharpness he had shown that afternoon, as they passed through the library to the hall. For the first time in his life Lucy was devoutly thankful that Mrs. Ferrers had never allowed her younger children to address him as "Lal"; for now that Mignon had abandoned the pleasant habit, it would have been unbearable to have it taken up by the five youngsters of the family. No, Mignon had given it up of her own free-will, and no other should ever call him so. Of that he was determined.

Mrs. Ferrers looked up with a smile as he drew near her table. "Have you got through your letters?" she asked, in her pleasant and friendly