The Rector of St. Marks

"I think it would be better if you both leaned on me," the rector

said, offering each an arm, and apologizing for not having thought to

do so before.

"I do not need it, thank you, but Miss Harcourt does. I fear she is

very tired," said Anna, pointing to Lucy's face, which was so white

and ghastly; so like the face seen once before in Venice, that,

without another word, Arthur took the tired girl in his strong arms

and carried her safely to the summit of the hill.

"Please put me down; I can walk now," Lucy pleaded; but Arthur felt

the rapid beatings of her heart, and kept her in his arms until they

reached Prospect Hill, where Mrs. Meredith was anxiously awaiting

their return, her brow clouding with distrust when she saw Mr.

Leighton, for she was constantly fearing lest her guilty secret should

be exposed.

"I'll leave Hanover this very week, and so remove her from danger,"

she thought as she arose to say good-night.

"Just wait a minute, please. There's something I want to say to Miss

Ruthven," Lucy cried, and, leading Anna to her own room, she knelt

down by her side, and, looking up in her face, began--"There's one

question I wish to ask, and you must answer me truly. It is rude and

inquisitive, perhaps, but tell me--has Arthur--ever--ever--"

Anna guessed at what was coming, and, with a gasping sob which Lucy

thought a long-drawn breath, she kissed the pretty parted lips, and

answered: "No, darling, Arthur never did, and never will, but some time he will

ask you to be his wife. I can see it coming so plain."

Poor Anna! Her heart gave one great throb as she said this, and then

lay like a dead weight in her bosom, while with sparkling eyes and

blushing cheeks, Lucy exclaimed: "I am so glad--so glad. I have only known you since Sunday, but you

seem like an old friend; and so, you won't mind me telling you that

ever since I first met Arthur among the Alps I have lived in a kind of

ideal world of which he was the center. I am an orphan, you know, and

an heiress, too. There is half a million, they say; and Uncle

Hetherton has charge of it. Now, will you believe me when I say that I

would give every dollar of this for Arthur's love if I could not have

it without."

"I do believe you," Anna replied, inexpressibly glad that the

gathering darkness hid her white face from view as the child-like,

unsuspecting girl went on. "The world, I know, would say that a poor

clergyman was not a good match for me, but I do not care for that.

Cousin Fanny favors it, I am sure, and Uncle Hetherton would not

oppose me when he saw I was in earnest. Once the world, which is a

very meddlesome thing, picked out Thornton Hastings, of New York, for

me; but my! he was too proud and lofty even to talk to me much, and I

would not speak to him after I heard of his saying that 'I was a

pretty little plaything, but far too frivolous for a sensible man to

make his wife.' Oh, wasn't I angry, though, and don't I hope that when

he gets a wife she will be exactly such a frivolous thing as I am."