Part 111 (2/2)

On arriving at Brandon Hall Beatrice found her diary in its place of concealotten

But those old sorroere passing away now, in the presence of her new joy

And yet that joy was darkened by the cloud of a new sorrow Langhetti was dying His frail form became more and more attenuated every day, his eyes more lustrous, his face rave Edith ith hi in her own face and form to proed to arrive Beside these Beatrice watched, and Mrs Thornton added her tender care

Day by day Langhetti greorse At last one day he called for his violin He had caused it to be sent for on a previous occasion, but had never used it His love for s of Beatrice Noished to exert his own skill with the last rehetti was propped up by pillows, so that he ht hold the instrue, lustrous eyes were fixed on hi, which came and went rapidly, showed her utter weakness and prostration

Langhetti drew his bow across the strings

It was a strange, sweet sound, weak, but sweet beyond all words--a long, faint, lingering tone, which rose and died and rose again, bearing away the souls of those who heard it into a realth to Langhetti It was as though some unseen power had been invoked and had coly, on firh the air

The strength of these tones seemed to e It was a ible to those who listened--a hetti understood it, and so did Edith Her eyes grew brighter, a flush started to her wan cheeks, her breathing grew more rapid

Thein its h the air, like the song of so for newcoave a piercing cry She rushed to Edith's sofa Edith lay back, herupward But the lips breathed no ht of life

At the cry of Beatrice the violin fell frohetti's hand, and he sank back His face was turned toward Edith He saw her and knew it all

[Illustration: LANGHETTI DREW HIS BOW ACROSS THE STRINGS]

He said not a word, but lay with his face turned toward her They wished to carry her away, but he gently reproved them

”Wait!” he murmured ”In a short time you will carry away another also

Wait”

They waited

An hour before ht all was over They had passed--those pure spirits, froenial to a fairer world and a purer clime

They were buried side by side in the Brandon vaults Frank then returned to London Mrs Thornton went back to Holby The new rector was surprised at the request of the lady of Thornton Grange to be allowed to becoanist in Trinity Church She offered to pension off the old ladly acceded to Her zeal was remarkable Every day she visited the church to practice at the organ This became the purpose of her life Yet of all the pieces tere perfor the Agnus Dei; the other, the [Greek: teleutaion aspasmon] of St John Damascene Peace! Peace! Peace!

Was that cry of hers unavailing? Of Despard nothing was known for some time Mr Thornton once mentioned to his wife that the Rev Courtenay Despard had joined the Eleventh Regione to South Africa

Hethat a Captain Despard had been killed in the Kaffir war, and wondered whether it could by any possibility be their old friend or not

At Brandon Hall, the one who had been so long a prisoner and a slave soon becaloom which had rested over the house was dispelled, and Brandon and his ere soon able to look back, even to the darkest period of their lives, without fear oftheir perfect happiness

THE END