eatures, brown eyes and a pleasant smile. Muscularly, too, he was very strong, as was shown by his athletic record at Cambridge. Whether his strength extended to his constitutio

lungy," he called it. Noticing that Mr. Walrond looked serious, and knowing something of how matters stood between Anthony and Barbara, he hasten

" he added significantly, "and for the

e manner of his going which seemed to suggest th

n them, and now there was left to him but a little time to live. This was sad news and marred the happiness of their meeting, since both of the

rsing him?"

to the South of England for t

not catching," she rem

ople say it runs in families. I hope not, I am sure, as the poor old chap insists up

ey would ever get to the end of it all. Anthony was particularly anxious to learn what blessed circumstance

, a fellow with scarcely a half-penny and a ve

and while the words were on her lips, for the first time it came into Barbara's mind that perhaps Anthony had no need to troub

come by this wondrous instance of fidelity and

thony, that you might very well have call

ir perfect love were draw

he returned from his ministrations it was to announce in a sad voice that

nott. The old gentleman had for years been partially paralysed and in a delicate state of health, which the sad loss of his elder son had done much to rende

which is more than we can say now. Worn out, I suppose, worn out! In fact," he went on, looking at her sharply, "it is for you to consider whether you care to take t

not put any such idea into Anthony's head. If you do he

er-well, things must take their course. If we were al

heir mutual attachment he had been much distur

get the estate, which is practically the only property we have, and it ought alwa

elonged to his mother, saying he might not be alive to do so when

e to Barbara in very affectionate terms, to wish her every happiness and say how glad she was to hear that she was settling herself so well in life. She added

nd of illness, in which coughing played a considerable part. So severe were its effects that it was thought desirable to postpo

kind of presentiment that I am going to become an invalid. My strength is nothing like what it was, and at times it fai

nswered Barbara steadily, "you would want a nurse, and who could nurse you so well as y

g her arms about him and kissed him, which was

ards her father als

doubt it will pass off. But I cannot help remembering the case of his brother George; also that of his mother before him.. In short, Barbara, d

on her father a

care nothing. What good would health be to me if I lost Anthony, who is more to me than

d, dear. But, you see,

sks as we do; that is if there are any

mention the matter, which I hope you will forgive me for having done. And now I may tell you I have a letter from A

brother and the condition of Mr. Arnott's health the wedding was extremely quiet. Still, in its own way it was as charming as it was happy. All her five sisters acted as Barbara's bridesmaids, and many gathered

handsome, while Aunt Thompson, who by now had put off her mourning

should, save that the bride's mother

ughters to cry because one of them is making a good marriage; "though it is true," she added, dropping her voice to a confidential whisper, "that had Barba

s family history, she feared for Anthony's health; indeed, she feared a hundred things that she was quite unable to define. However, at the little breakfast which followed she seemed quite to recover her spirits