e attended at Mr. Gradfield's office to enter upon his duties, a

sation of freedom from supervision, revived the sparkle of a warm young nature ready enough to take advantage of any adventitious restoratives. Point-blank grief tends rather to seal up

ady definitely pictured in her fancy, which, in its exuberance, led her on to picturing its individual members, their possibl

very frequently, if not always, followed by a peculiar train of romantic ideas. Cytherea's thoughts, still playing about her future, became directed into this romantic groove. She leant back

, 'I wonder who an

nd with some fluttering of the heart, and the least trembling of his lip, slip the ring so l

own in value, and desperately set it on my finger thus. He will fix his eyes unflinchingly upon what he is doing-just a

derness of expression about his mouth, as sailors do: kiss it, perhaps, with a simple air, as if we were children play

oor man-noble-minded and af

proaching herself, even angry with herself for allowing her mind to stray upon such subje

adfield's broke forth into words at once. Almost before they had sat do

to-day? What is the place like-do yo

here to-day; I have only had

moment's notice the drama of whosoever's life they choose. Cytherea'

t of a ma

orthy fellow; there's no nonsense in him, and though he is not a public school man he has read widely, and has a sharp a

tect, for of all professional men they

s man is rather of a melanc

ly?' she mildly asked, after a w

ily;

Owen, how sh

e a conversation about women going on in the office, and

to be like?' she said, with g

ould like her to blush if only a cock-sparrow were to look at her hard," he said, "which brings me back to the girl again: and so I flit backwards and forwards. I must have what comes, I suppose," he said, "

What a musing cr

id, i