" This is a nice reception to give me," said Algernon, in a hard, cold voice, after they had looked at each other for a Becond, and Castalia had remained silent and still. In truth she was physically unable to speak to him in that first moment of meeting. Her heart throbbed so that every beat seemed like an angry blow threatening her life. "Why do you wander out alone in this way? Why do you conduce your self like a mad woman 1 Though, indeed, perhaps you are not so wrong there ; madness might excuse your conduct. Nothing else can." "I couldn't stay in that house. I fihould have died there. Everything in every room reminded me of you." She answered so faintly that he had to strain his ear to hear her, and the colour less lips trembled as the lips tremble of a person trying to keep back tears. But her eyes were quite dry. Algernon was pale, with the peculiar ghastly pallor of a freph ruddy complexion. His blue eyes had a glitter in them like ice, not fire ; and there was a set, sar castic, bitter smile on his mouth. " Look here, Castalia ; we had better understand one another at once. ] shall begin by telling you what I have resolved upon, and what I have done, and you will then have to obey me implicitly. There must be no soi-t of discussion or hesitation. Gome back to the house with me at once."

She shook her head quickly. "No ! no ! Tell me htre — out here by ourselves, where no one can hear as. I cannot bear to go into that house yet." '• Pshaw! What intolerable fooling! Well, h«ra be it. I have no time to waste. I have seen your uncle. Don't interrupt me ! He has promised to get us out of thin cursed place, and to find a post for ate abroad as consul. I had to exercise a good deal of persistence and ability to bring him to that point, but to that point I have brought him. We must keep him to it, and be active. My lady will move heaven and carth — or t'other place and earth, which is more in hex fine — to thwart us. 