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I Has our Mortimer come back?’.’ ‘I ' < "
. OUR MUTUAL -FRIEND.
and by day,so quietly yielding to the attraction of the load-
stone rock of Eternity ; and tho nearer they drew tovthe
chamber. where-Eugene lay, the more they feared that
they might find his wanderings done.’ Atlast tthey saw
‘its dim light shining out, -and it gave them hope‘:
though Lightwood faltered as he thought: “if he were
gone, she would still-be sitting by him.” . ' - I ;
But he lay quiet, half in stupor, half in sleep. Bella,
entering with a raised admonitory finger, kissed.Lizzie
softly, but said not a. word. Neither did anyof them
speak, but all sat down at the foot of the bed; silently
waiting. I-And now, in this night-watch, mingling with
thediow of the river -and with the rush of the train,
cameithe questions into Bella's mind again : VVl1at could
be in the depths of that mystery of ‘John’s 7, VVhy was
it that he had never been seen by Mr. Lightwood, whom
he still avoided? ‘Vixen would that trial come, through
which her faith in, and her duty to, her dear husband,
was to carryher, rendering him triumphant? For, that
had been his term. ‘Her passing through the " trial was
to make the man she loved, with all her heart, tri-
umphant. Term not to sink out of ‘sight inIBella’s
breast. ' ‘- “ ‘'
Far on in the night,.Eugene opened his eyes. He was
sensible, and said at once: “ How does the time go?
Lightwood was there immediately to answer for him-
self. “Yes, Eugene,‘ and all is ready.” g ‘ ‘
“ Dear boy i” returned Eugene with a smile, “ we
both thank you heartily. Lizzie, tell them how welcome
they are, and that I would be eloquent if I could.”
“ There is no need,’i said Mr. Milvey. “ VVo knowit.
Are you better, Mr. Wrayburn?”, - p , . .
“ I" am much happier,” said Eugene.
.“Much'better too, I hope?” - 7 . s , ‘
Eugene. turned his eyes towards Lizzie, as if to spare
her,.and answered nothing. I l ' ,
Then, they all stood around the bed,,and Mr. Milvey,
opening his book, began the service ; so rarely associated .
with the shadow of death; so inseparable in the mind
from a fiush of life and gaiety and hope and health and
joy. Bella thought how different from her own sunny
little wedding, and wept. Mrs. Milvey overflowcd with,
pity, and wept too.
hands before her face, wept in her golden bower. - Read-
ingin a low clear voice, and bending over Eugene, who
kept his eyes upon him,‘ Mr. Milvey did hisoffice with
suitable simplicity. i As the bridegroom could not move his
hand, they touched his fingers with the ring, and so put
it on the bride. ;W'hen the two plighted their troth, she
laid her hand on his, and kept it there. - VVhen the core-
mony was done, and all the rest departed from the room,
she drew her arm under his head, and laid her own head
down upon the pillow by his side.
“Undraw the curtains, my dear girl,” said Eugene,
after a. while, ‘f and let us see our wedding-day.” '
The sun was rising, and his-first .rays struck into the
room, as she came back, and put herlips to his. “I
bless the day l” said Eugene. “ I bless the day I ” said
Lizzie. ' ' . ' . v .
“ -You‘ have made a poor marriage of it, my sweet
wife,’.’ said Eugene. -“ A shattered gracelcss fellow,
stretched at his lengthliere, and next to nothing for you
when you are a. young widow.”
“ I have made the marriage that I would have given
all the world to dare to hope for,” she replied.
“ You have . thrown yourself away,” said Eugene,
shaking his head. “ But you have followed the treasure
of your heart. ' My justification is, that you had thrown
that away first,vdear girl i” -- , . ' . I '
“ No. . I had given it to you.”
“ The same thing, my poor Lizzie I” =
‘-‘Hush, hush I A very didercnt thing.”
There were tears in his eyes, and she besought him to
close them. “ No,” said Eugene, again‘ shaking his
head ; “let. me look at you, Lizzie, while I can. , You
brave devoted girl ! You heroine I” " , x ' -
Her own eyes filled underhis praises.‘ And when he
mustered ‘strength . to move his wounded head a. ‘very
lflatlle way, and lay it on her bosom, thestcars of both
The dolls’ dressmaker,‘ with her '
see me wandering away from this refuge that I have so
ill deserved, speak to me by my name, andI think I shall
come back.’.’ . .. - p. . . p ; , ,
“ Yes, dear Eugene.’.’
“ There I” he exclaimed, smiling.
gone then, but for that 1 ” p , , .
A little while afterwards, when he , appeared 'to be
sinking into insensibility, she said, in a calm loving
voice : “ Eugene, my dearhusband if’ ,He immediately
answered : “ There again I You see how you can recall
me i .” And afterwards, when he could not speak, he
still answered by a slight movement of his head upon
her bosom. , , . ‘ , . ,
The sun was high in the sky, when she gently disen-
gaged herself to give him the stimulants and.nourish-
nient he required. The utter helplessness of the wreck
of him that lay cast ashore there, now alarmed her, but
he himself appeared a little more hopeful.
“ Ah, my beloved Lizzie l” he said faintly.
shall I everpay all I owe you, if I recover If’,
.“ Don’t be ashamed of me,” she replied, “ and you will
have more than paid all.” . , .
would require a life, Lizzie, ,to pay all ; more than
a 1 e.” ' -
, .
,“.I should ‘have
v ..
“ How
see how hard I will try to improve myself, and never to
discredit you.” . ' . I, i
‘f My darling girl,” he replied, rallying more of his old
manner than he had ever yet got together. ; “On the
contrary, I have been thinking whether it is not the best
thing I can do, to dief,’ - . .
“ The best thing you can do, to ‘leave me with a broken
heart ? ” ' V
“ I don't mean that, my dear girl. Lwas not thinking
of that. VVh'at I was thinking of was this. ’ Outof your
compassion for me, in this maimed and broken state, you
make so much of mo-you think so well of me--you love
me so dearly.” ' I , , .
“ Heaven knows I love you dearly !” ,. p
“ And Heaven knows I prize it I ‘Veil. If I live,
you’ll find me out.” , , , A V , , . g ,v
“ I shall find out that my husband has a. mine of pur-
pose and energy, and will turn it to the best account?” -
“ I hope, so, dearest Lizzie," said Eugene, wistfully,
and yet somewhat whimsically. “I hope so. But I
can’t summon the ‘vanity to think so. How can I think
so, lookingback on such atrifiing wasted youth as mine I
I humbly hope it ; ‘but I darcn't believe it. 'I‘hcrc is a.
sharp misgiving in my conscience that if I were to live,
I should disappoint your good opinion and my own-,-and
that I ought to die, my. dear I " . .
’ CiIAI’TER XII.
The Passing Shadow. '
Tm-: winds and tides rose and fell a certain number of
times, the earth moved round the sun a. certain number
of times, the ship upon the ocean made her voyage
safely, andbrought a. baby Bella home. Then I who so
blest and happ ' as Mrs. John Rokesmith, savingnnd ex-
cepting M r. Jo n Rokesmithl ‘ ‘
“ “’ould you not like to be rich now, my darling?”
“How can you ask me ‘such a question, John dear?
Am I not rich?” ‘
These were among the first words spoken near the
baby Bella as she lay asleep. She soon proved to be a.
baby of wonderful intelligence, evincing the‘ strongest
objection to her grandmothcr’s society, and being invari-
ably seized with a painful acidity of the stomach when
that dignified lady honoured her with any attention.
' It was charming to see Bella contemplat-mg this baby,
and finding out her own dimples in that ‘tiny reflection,
as if she were looking in the glass without personal
vanity. Her chcrubic father ‘ justly remarked to her
husband that the baby seemed to make her younger than
before, reminding him of the days when she had a. pet
doll and used to talk to itas she carried it about. The
world might have been challenged to produce another
7‘Liz'zic,”. said Eugene, after a silence; “ when you
baby who had such a store of pleasant nonsense said and
“ Live for that, then; live for me, Eugene; live to,