She is no mere casual acquaint ance of whom they can say, "Oh ! we haven't seen her, we know nothing about her." She is so nearly one of them that it would be indecorous on their part to show the anxiety they feel. They ques tion, cross-question, bewilder, harass the messenger, and all they can elicit is that Miss Grange went out about five o'clock in the afternoon, declaring that she was going to the Forests, and that since then nothing has been seen or heard of her. " It's like an instalment of a novel," Marian whispers to Kate, " I want the next chapter — how I want the next chap ter !" 1 " The next chapter won't unravel the mystery," Kate says, "but don't let Frank see us conjecturing ; that's a most wearying thing when a person is conjec turing himself." " 1 believe she's putting an end to her past life somewhere or other before she enters upon the new," Marian says scorn fully. "I believe she's the kind of woman who destroys her records as she goes," Kate answers. " Charlotte isn't a person to leave prudential measures to the last moment." Meantime many minutes have passed, and it is now very nearly eleven o'clock. " Kate !" Mrs. Forest says, in a tone of anguished appeal, " do go to bed ; you, at least, have nothing to wait for nor to fear ; and if you could get Gertrude to go with you " " Gertrude requires no persuasion, mamma," that young 1-idy interrupts. " Wild horses wouldn't drag me to church to-morrow after this ; I shall go to bed and rest as well as I can ; but aIL this is not calculated to have a very soothing j effect upon one, you know, mamma." "I suppose you will go round to the Granges I" Mrs. Forest says, turning to her son. " Well, no, mother ; as they sent here for information, it's no use my going to them for any. 