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much wealth, and she crimsoncd with ningled sadness and resentment. Then o oitter pain filled her hearty and she felt she could not forgive her brother this moment of torture. He was speaking, but she did not hear his words. He presented Zer to the stranger, reversing the g the ceremony, but in her suffering she did not note the shight. Her hand was cold as death when she laid it i the stranger’s, but then there came o surprise which sent the blood coursing quickly through her vems. She dared to look into his face, but she vamly sought the expression of pity or scorn which she expected to sce there. She could almost have thought he found her beautiful, so carncstly were his brown cyes lixed upon her, so entirehy did they scem to appeal to that

)

inner sell which she felt to be mdependent of

the ugly envelope enshrining it.

Perhaps her costume pleased hime also, for she pereeived his glance travel over its detals, and a bright smile light up his expressive features. She was wearing her usual dress, that of the peasants of the district : a laced scarlet bodice over a white chemiscette, a short black skirt, strong shoes, and her hanr plaited with ribbons. Herappearanee seemed to fascinate the stranger, and his pleasure i it, though entirely well bred, was very mani

D N CS B O A R L I HEEN

STRAND

qohtiul order of

N AGALINL,

fest o but Nasha rapidly grew uncasy under the novel sense of recerving admiration. She was almost terrified by so comiplete a reversal ol her previous experience, and she thankiully responded to old Getha, who, calling to her from the castle, enabled her to cseape from the surprisig presence of her brother's guest,

No preparations had been made Tor com- pany, and the accommodation at ISagle’s Gorge was of a scanty deseription @ but the hostess and her old adherent did the best their ingenuity suggested, and 1 spite of all therr visitor expressed himsell more than content. When Nasha spoke of the dulness of hfce at the rock-bound castle, he laughed : and when the brother and sister wondered how he could endure its monotony, he looked at - Nasha and declared that he had never known happmess before. "The significance ol his tone, and his persistent secking of her soctety, filled his hostess with a weird dread which soon mastered all the passionate dehght his presence kindled within her, She went one day to her brother, and said, with an cffort to which she had braced herself @ -

“I'las s witcheraft ! T will have nothing to do with 1t.”

Volmer took her slender wrists mto his strong hands, and forced her to look at him.

“T'hen you are the witeh,” he said, 1gnoring the latter half ol her specceh. *“Nasha, when this man asks vou to be his wife—-— 7

“When! Yes??

“He will ask vou. Do not refus - him @ he loves vou.”

“Are vou not trving to carry a trick too far?”

And b ot owere a tnek would vou find 1t difficult to forgive me? Would that be oreat sin i vour eves which gave vou the min vou worship? No, do not strugele @ vou must hear me out. You will do me a ser- viee o marrving Ivo, and

return I ogive vou, as T said before, his lTove.” “You have bewitched hmy !

I will tell him the trath 17 “CYou mav do as vou please : but 1 swear to vou that 1 vou vo down on vour knees and solemnly vow by vour patron saint, he will not believe vou—- he will only believe what 1

R corroborate.”