Her cousin saw the tears in her eyes. "My dear Ruth, he said, lowering his voice, " what is wrong?"

"Nothing," she said. She spoke al most sharply, and sat down to the piano.
" Let it be something lively, Kuth," said Mr Northcote, who was showing Allan Hurst some Australian views.
Ruth turned over the leaves listlessly, b\it did not begin.
" You feel uncommonly like something lively just now, don't you ?" said her cousin.
She made some unintelligible reply.
Philip noticed this- little bye-play, and it roused him to a sense of other than past miseries. He came forward. " Have you a song called 'Leah, the forsaken,' he said, lowering his voice slightly. I wish you would sing it. I should feel very much obliged ?" "It is a favourite one of my uncle's," said Ruth. "Harry, get it; you know where it is."

Philip began to wish fervently that this cousin was at the bottom of the sea. He got it and placed it before her. "Ex cuse me," he said, stepping in before Philip.
"No ; I will not," said Philip angrily. " 1 don't consider myself a musician; but I think I can turn over the leaves of a song as well as yourself.
Harry Ellis started back. "Oh ! really," he said, in a sarcastic tone. "I beg your pardon. I never doubted the fact."

Ruth looked up piteously at them both. " Oh, Harry, don't," she said.
"My fair cousin, tell me first what I am doing V he said, sitting down beside the piano.
