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you," she said, "so so that we might all walk together, it is so much pleasanter.

What made you walk so slowly, Kathleen?"

66

I am tired," said Kathleen shortly, and there was a little tremble in her tones.

"We better make haste," continued Bertha, "I am afraid mamma may be anxious about us.

Kathleen said no more. and they walked on. Lord Norwich hardly knew whether he was glad or sorry the interruption had occurred, and walked on in silence by Kathleen's side, and Denis did not speak either, he was too full of painful thoughts, and for the remainder of the walk the conversation was maintained by Bertha, who, regardless of the fact that she had made three people extremely uncomfortable, continued to descant on the evening's amusement, and its various incidents.

After supper,

the Desmonds' guests took their departure, and Denis, who had followed Lord Norwich out into the hall, witnessed the lingering leavetaking that took place between him and Kathleen.

They were standing at the door, in the moonlight, and Denis saw her taking flower from the bosom of her dress, and giving it to the young man, after which he mounted his horse and rode away down the moonlit avenue, looking like a black silhouette as he moved along in the bright light.

"Good-night," said Denis shortly, as he went up to Kathleen, who was standing by the open door, gazing after the horse and rider.

"Good-night, Denis," said

more kindly than her wont. enjoy the reading?"

Kathleen, "Did you

"No," said Denis brusquely, "I can't say I did," looking down, as he spoke, at her face, into which a new tender beauty had come.

She was no longer the wilful Kathleen of old, who loved to torment him with her Undine-like tricks. A soul had awakened within her, and a softened gentle mood was upon her, in which she seemed ten times more fair and loveable, he thought, as he turned sadly away, leaving her standing there with the strange look of tender happiness on her face.

CHAPTER VI.

SHADOW S.

"A something light as air-a look,
A word unkind or wrongly taken."

IX days had elapsed since the
penny reading, during which

time various reasons had conspired to prevent Lord Norwich from seeing Kathleen; and now the seventh day, on which he had determined to ride over to Glencullin House, dawned dark and wet. A heavy smoke-coloured sky hung like a pall over Derrylinn, from which the rain descended straight and steady in a business

like manner, as if it had been given a task to perform, and wished to do it as quickly as possible. The air seemed filled with the sound of falling water, and the streets looked like the canals of Venice. Lord Norwich was gazing disconsolately out of one of the barrack windows, though there was little to be seen, for the streets looked deserted, and it was only at rare intervals that a cab plashed by, or a footpassenger hurried past under a dripping umbrella. Lord Norwich was humming a tune softly to himself, while he drummed an accompaniment to it on the windowpane. What a confounded bother the rain was, he thought; he wanted to see Kathleen, and yet he felt it would be absurd to ride over on such a day merely to pay a visit. Perhaps it might clear up, and he glanced at the sky, but the atmo

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