everybody, even with her mother, and I don't know what to say, and then she says she knows I think so." “You think, how ?”

"Why, whatever she thinks; and sometimes I do, but it does not seem right to say it, and yet people ought to say what they think."

"Yes, on subjects about which they ought to say anything at all; but I am afraid Anne does not always limit herself to those. Did she talk to you about Bessie ?"

"No," said Winifred, brightening. "Does she know her?"

"No, but she knows all about her, and says she would like to know her. I think she would like to

hear of her from you. But there is the gong, we must go down, and we will finish our talk another time."

CHAPTER VIII.

HIDE AND SEEK.

There groups of merry children played;
There youths and maidens dreaming strayed.
O precious hours! O golden prime,

And affluence of love and time!

Even as a miser counts his gold,

Those hours the ancient time-piece told,

"For ever-never!

Never-for ever!"

LONGFELLOW.

What then are days to have such tearful power?

One day-one day. One hour-and then, one hour!

"I HAVE some news for you, Minna," said Lady Fortrose. "Visitors in prospect-who do you think?"

"Not Rhoda ?" said Minna.

"That is not a bad guess; but it is not Rhoda. Try again."

"Bessie ?" said Minna in an accent of great surprise. "No, it is not a lady," said Lady Fortrose. "Somebody you are very fond of, though," said Herbert, who was in the secret.

"I am so glad."

"Oh, Frank!" cried Minna. "But that is not all, there is somebody else," said Lady Fortrose, "an officer in Her Majesty's service." "Harry! Is it possible! Oh, how very delightful ! When is he coming?" asked Minna, eagerly.

To-day, or to-morrow at the latest, I hope. He has written to propose himself, having one week of

leave remaining. It is so kind of him to come, and I am so very glad you will have such a nice sight of him before he leaves England again. You know Captain Raymond, I think," added Lady Fortrose, turning to Lady St. Melion; so we shall be a charm

ing, sociable party."

66

"Oh," thought Minna, "Lady St. Melion knows Harry;" and she looked at Anne, whose half-smile told her she had guessed right. Yes, it was Harry who had talked to the little invalid of his own delicate little sister, not as Anne at first fancied, by way of holding up a pattern to her, but to interest her in hearing of another so near her own age, to whom the privations consequent on ill-health were not unknown. After luncheon Minna went into the drawing-room with Anne.

"So you know my brother Harry," said Minna. "I am so glad; and it was he that told you about Bessie. I daresay you know him nearly as well as I do, for it is a long time since I have seen him."

"Do you never go home, then ?" asked Anne.

66 Yes, but the two last times I was there he was away on a foreign station."

66

Perhaps it was then that I met him. His ship was in the Mediterranean, and we knew him at Naples." "But does not Bessie want you to stay when you are at home?"

"Oh," interposed Winifred, who, with Beatrice, had just joined them; "oh, you know Bessie is not alone, she has Rhoda."

"Well, and you have Geraldine," said Anne.

"Well," said Winifred, looking up doubtfully; “but that is quite different; Geraldine is younger than I am."

"Beatrice is not; and I don't believe you would like it if Minna were taken away, and you were told you must not care because you have Beatrice. were Bessie, I should not like it at all."

If I

'Nonsense, Anne," said Beatrice; "you don't mind being without me, I'm sure.”

"I am used to it," said Anne, coldly.

"So are Minna's sisters," continued Beatrice. "Well, of course I am wrong," said Anne, with an air of resignation; "but," added she, in a low voice, “I don't believe I am the only person that thinks so."

Minna had been working fast and busily; she now raised her head. "I do not think you are wrong, Anne, because you cannot judge differently without knowing more; and if I were no better informed than you are on the subject, I should agree with you; but I know Bessie does not want me while she has Rhoda ; and I tell you this that you may know I don't forget to think about it, for I often do, and more than that, I have quite settled that if Rhoda were to marry I must go home to Bessie."

"To stay?" inquired Anne, in a very gentle tone. "Yes," said Minna, without looking up again.

"Oh, then it is to be hoped Rhoda will be an old maid," said Beatrice, "for I am sure this house would never get on without you. What do you think,

Winifred ?"

"You do not really mean it, do you, Minna?" said Winifred.

"Yes, she does," said Anne.

Winifred kept her eyes fixed on Minna's face, and tried to look under the long eyelashes which concealed the feeling her eyes were always ready to betray.

Minna rose up suddenly, and began folding up her work, saying at the same time—

66

My dear Winifred, Rhoda has no more idea of being married at present than you have, so why need we think about such remote possibilities. Let us go now and keep our promise of playing at hide-and-seek with the children before it gets dark enough to frighten Wentworth."

"Yes, poor little boy, he must not hide alone, said Winifred; "I will get Miss Forbes to come, if I can, he is always glad of her protection."

And off ran Winifred to the school-room, where her proposition was received with acclamations by Geraldine and Herbert, and with quieter sympathy by Miss Forbes, who readily undertook the charge of Wentworth.

The party met on a broad landing-place whence many passages diverged, and there Minna joined them, bringing with her from the nursery the fair, timid, little Wentworth, a pretty boy, five years old, and his braver companion, Stuart, a daring, manly little fellow, who, though only just four, was always admitted to games with the elder ones, being, as Herbert admiringly declared, "the pluckiest little fellow in the world, and awfully pretty." It was amusing to see Stuart smoothing a difficulty for Wentworth, or boldly facing a danger, and then turning back to assure his brother it was "nuffing."

This brave little gentleman was, however, consigned to the charge of Minna, who was particularly fond of him; and the sides having been chosen, the hiders stealthily retreated to their various places of concealment.

Minna and Beatrice had been appointed to choose,