Part 24 (1/2)

TWO LETTERS

Despard did not go back to the Grange for some days About a week had passed since the scenes narrated in the preceding chapter when onefinished his breakfast, he went into his library and sat down at the table to write A litter of papers lay all around The walls were covered with shelves, filled with books The table was piled high with ponderous tomes Manuscripts were strewn around, and books were scattered on the floor Yet, amidst all this disorder, some order was apparent, for many of these books lay open in certain places, and others were arranged so as to be within reach

Several sheets of paper, covered riting, lay before him, headed, ”The Byzantine Poets” The books were all in Greek It was the library of a hard-working student

Very different was the Despard of the library frohtful expression was read in his face, and his eyes had an abstraction which would have done credit to Mr Thornton hi his seat at the table, he reht Then he took up a pen and drew a piece of paper before hiure which he had marked with his cane on Mrs Thornton's carpet He traced this figure over and over, until at last the whole sheet was covered

Suddenly he flung down the pen, and, taking up the paper, leaned back in his chair with aI am!”

he muttered at last, and let the paper fall to the floor He leaned his head on his hand, then resuth he began to draw

Under the fine and delicate strokes of his pen, which were as neat and as exquisite as the radually rose to view It was a sea-side scene The place was Holby Beach In the distance was the light-house; and on one side a promontory, which protected the harbor Upon the shore, looking out toward the sea, was a beautiful girl, of about sixteen years of age, whose features, as they grew beneath his tender touches, were those of Mrs Thornton Then beside her there gradually rose another figure, a youth of about eighteen, with s locks, who looked exactly like what the Rev Courtenay Despard ht years before His left arm was around her waist, her arht hand held hers Her head leaned against him, and both of theed with a certain pensive sadness, were looking out upon the setting sun

As soon as he finished he looked at the sketch, and then, with a sudden iments He drew the written h, and began writing with great rapidity upon the subject of the Byzantine Poets He had just written the folloords:

”The Anacreontic hymns of John Damascenus form a marked contrast to--”

when the sentence was interrupted by a knock at the door ”Come in!” It was the servant with letters froravely, and the man laid two letters on the table He waited till the servant had departed, then seizing one of them, a small one, addressed in a lady's hand, he pressed it vehemently to his lips and tore it open

It was as follows:

[Illustration: ”BOTH WERE LOOKING OUT UPON THE SETTING SUN”]

”DEAR MR DESPARD,--I suppose I ain Yet Iletter froular a character that you will have to explain it to me I shall expect you this afternoon, and till then, I remain,

”Yours sincerely,

”TERESA THORNTON

”THORNTON GRANGE, Friday”

Despard read this letter a score of times, and placed it reverently in an inner drawer of his desk He then opened the other, and read as follows:

”HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, January 12, 1847

”MY DEAR COURTENAY,--I was very glad to hear of your appointment as Rector of Holby, your old home, and hope that by this time you are fully established in the old Rectory, where you spent so h in poor old Carson's days to know that it was a fine old place

”You will see by this that I aiinning to feel settled

It is not so cold here as it was in Quebec There is capitalup the country I don't admire my acco all things The people are pleasant, and there is so before leaving Quebec, who do you think turned up? No less a person than Paolo Langhetti, who in the course of his wanderings came out there He had known soe out; and these are the ie early in June last in the shi+p _Tecurant shi+p, and craers You have heard all about the horrors of that e, which occurred last year, when those infernal Liverpoola few additional pounds in their pockets, sent so many thousands to destruction