ly, and then looked down to her for a moment, and Helen saw once more the expression which she had thought so unaccountable in the drawing-room of Monzievar, and her brow contracted with anxiety to define it.

Not another word passed between them on the way to the Castle and at the head of the staircase the party separated to dress for dinner.

CHAPTER VIII.

"Where are those bright dreams that made

Life so beautiful at first;

Where the many fantasies

That young hope so fondly nurst;

Where's the trusting confidence

Of affection, deep and true;

Where's the spirit, sunshine-like

Which o'er all its radiance threw ;

Gone! gone! they all are gone!

L. E. L.

It was a lovelier impulse than vanity, or even modest and natural ambition which sent Helen to her toilette with a simple and earnest

attention to its details, which was its own best pledge of success; and when she descended to the drawing-room, despite the half provoked smile which her extreme paleness elicited at the looking-glass, her beauty had never taken a sweeter or more touching character than the mingled agitation of the day had lent it.

The whole interest of her heart was in her face: you might read deep and troubled feeling in her varying cheek; sympathy in the shadow of her child-like forehead; and a woman's purest, deepest, dearest confidence in the calm, though half-mournful compression of her small mouth, while the light of her violet eyes, when their heavy fringes rose to reveal it, spoke the undying hope of youth and inno

cence.

The drawing-room was but half filled when she entered; there were only Lady Munro and Caroline, Sir Evan, Roderick, Faulconbridge, and a handfull of gentlemen in the far

thest window. Faulconbridge looked towards the door at her approach, but he had no sooner identified the new-comer than he turned immediately away, and joined the groupe at the window.

"Come along my Lady of the Lake," said Sir Evan Munro leading her kindly to a seat; "you and my naughty Carry I find have been playing truant from the driving party. I am ashamed of your pusillanimity, you quite tarnish the reputation of mountain maidens by knocking under to the paltry fatigues of an evening's amusement."

Nay, nay," said Helen smiling, we are not to be so calumniated, are we Caroline? Set us to dance upon the heather, or to make hay, or to climb Benmore, and then if we are defeated, we must bear the disgrace; but our mountain fame is not to be endangered by such a night of town-bred dissipation as we are suffering from."

"Which are you most competent for, Carry," asked Sir Evan gaily, "I think you would make a capital hay maker, and climb Ben More to admiration."

"I could outshine Helen in all but the climbing, and even there I ought to be the victor," answered Caroline comparing their hands and feet playfully; "but have you really ever climbed Benmore, Helen ?"

" I

Yes, indeed," replied she laughing, have been on its summit once for every year of my life."

"Did not I hear something of an alarming accident you encountered in some of these climbing expeditions?" said Lady Munro ; "surely Sir Evan, it was you who told me of it?"

"Yes," replied he, "I had it from my own. gamekeeper, who made such a romantic affair out of it, that I should be glad of a plain unvarnished tale from you, Miss Campbell."

Helen became red and pale in a minute, and