and she loves him, and between them they will break my heart!"

"Hearts are not so easily broken," said Elizabeth under her breath. "But, Cicely," speaking more cheerfully, "I cannot allow all this weeping and wailing, or Dr Jameson will not think much of me as a sick-nurse. Instead, sit up and dry your tears and let us talk.”

Cicely did as she was told. She was still young enough to crave for human sympathy, and to feel her troubles were less when confided to another.

"You see, do you not," she said, “that I have a great deal to bear?”

"I see," Betty replied, "that you are ill, and that little annoyances are consequently much magnified. I see also that Cyril, like most men, not being able to do you any good, likes to go away and not come home more than is necessary; and I see, as you have been a great deal alone, that you have had little else to do but to lie here and imagine all sorts of unpleasant things: but we are going to alter all this."

And as Cicely shook her head, "Yes, we are. Invited or uninvited, I am going to stay here till next week, and then I hope, by taking a great deal of care of you, that you will be well enough to go to No. 39, if only for an hour or two; and after that frantic dissipation, I think you will not know yourself, you will feel so much better."

Cicely was quieter after that, and Betty flattered herself her words had taken effect, and went away with a lighter heart to dress for dinner.

But then she did not quite understand her sisterin-law, did not quite realise how jealousy can feed upon itself—how night after night the poor, foolish, self-willed girl was counting up the hours till the 24th of December, when she should be able to go and judge for herself; though of what she was to judge she would have had some difficulty in stating.

But that there was something that she would find out, if she could only see them together for some time, she felt certain-a vague expressive phrase which carried a certain amount of comfort with it. And on this hope, if such it could be called, Cicely waited for those long ten days in a sort of sullen calmness, which was most irritating to her husband, and even annoyed Betty almost beyond enduring.

247

CHAPTER XXI.

EVERY WHY HATH A WHEREFORE.

"All of us have a cause

To wail the dimming of our shining star;
But none can cure their harms by wailing them."

AFTER all Betty's hopes and promises, and Cicely's determination that nothing should keep her at home, when the afternoon of the 24th came round she herself was obliged to acknowledge, as she tossed feverishly in bed with a bad headache, that it was utterly impossible to think of going out.

Betty was really sorry for her, knowing the girl's disappointment, and noting the heavy eyes, as she stood by the bedside putting eau-de-Cologne on the hot forehead.

"I would stay, Cicely," she said, "only that I know what confusion there will be at home, and there is no one to whom I can well depute my duties."

"If it is just a children's party, they can amuse themselves."

"A children's party is too grand a name for it;

there will only be a few friends of Susy's and Christopher's, but they will want some one all the same, to see that they have enough to eat, and prevent them from annoying father, so I think I must go; but I will come back to-morrow, if you like." Elizabeth said this a little reluctantly, not caring particularly about spending Christmas-day out of No. 39-a day to which both Nan and she had looked forward. But Cicely did not notice the reluctance. Mainwaring will be there, of course," she said, a little spitefully. "Could not you depute your

duties to her?"

"Miss

"I

"I am afraid not," Betty replied, cheerfully. think she would rather sit quietly up-stairs with Nan and father, than keep the peace and invent amusements for children down-stairs."

"Are you going, Cyril? You will not be wanted,” Cicely went on, turning her eyes towards the corner where Mr Stevens stood leaning against the window looking out into the street. He did not turn his head to answer, so missed the worried, fretful look in Cicely's face, and the imploring expression of Betty's eyes, which he might easily have interpreted into a suggestion that he had better stay at home.

"Oh yes, I shall go for an hour or two, but I shall be back early."

Cicely said nothing further: perhaps she determined to reserve her persuasions until she was alone with her husband; but if so, her hopes were frustrated, for Cyril, immediately after speaking, strolled out of the room. Betty followed him,

thinking, in all probability, he would wish to return and have a few words alone with his wife before starting; but Cyril was careful to avoid any chance of tears and remonstrances, and Cicely was unaware of their movements until the rattle of a cab leaving the door revealed the fact that they had departed. Not a word passed between the brother and sister during their drive; Cyril looked out of the window the whole time, and Betty did not disturb his meditations.

Arrived at No. 39, there was much rejoicing over Elizabeth Stevens' appearance.

"O Betty, I am so glad to see you!" cried Susy, darting forward to meet her sister; "I was so afraid that" And then, seeing Cyril, she paused, and concluded quietly, "that Cicely would keep you."

"And have you been good, Susy, and fulfilled your promise to me, and done everything for me you could?"

"Yes, Betty," replied Nelly in her low voice, as she also entered the lighted hall-a slighter and more fragile-looking Nelly even than we knew two years ago; "so all you have to do is to go up to your room and change your dress—everything is quite ready."

And then Nelly, who never forgot any one, moved to Cyril's side and asked tenderly after Cicely, and sympathised about her disappointment.

"And yours too, Cyril; for I know how sad it must be for you to go out without her; " until with a lighter heart, at the knowledge that some one felt he was a little bit of a martyr, Cyril went