The Priest's Secret.

times to fevered brains . But he has also told me that he has guessed the truth , that you have confirmed his suspicions , and that you are hesitating evennoAv as to whether you shall assist him in—in deceiving my Avife . John , I have loved you as my

OAVU son , you can repay that love now . Let me die knoAvmg that you -will not say the Avords which would break a desolate woman ' s heart , and leave her to bear the bitterness of my guilt . Promise !"

The young priest s pale lips moved for a moment as if in prayer . Then falling on his knees by the bedside , he took the d y ing man ' s hand in his , and answered softly : " I promise . " ******

The Priest's Secret.

They buried the master of Studley Court iu the little green cemetery oufc beyond the toAvn and the people came in croAA'ds to the funeral to SIAOAY their respect for the good man who had

passed away . The doctor and the curate left the churchyard together . Outside the gate their hands met and they said no word for their hearts were full .

But that g ri p was a silent renewal of the promise the priest had given the dying man . Buried in their hearts for ever is the secret they Avill carry

to their graves . They alone Avill ever knoAV that the good man , over whose grave there stands a marble memorial on Avhich are recorded his honorable life and his Christian virtues , Avas a murderer—the murderer of his Avife and child .

"Mrs. Quilliam."

"Mrs . Quilliam . "

A MANX STORY . CHAPTER I .

tiSJsssZ HE clay Avas a dull and sunless one , the hedges Avore brown * 3 KpS j Sb- and Avithered , the fields had a sodden , dreary look . Sea ^ llsSftly * and sky merged into each other , no colour anyAvhere . S ^ lljg ?* . All distance shut out by a chill grey mist . JKT ^ 2 K" - ^ ^ * consoi't Avith my feelings , for I Avas leaving 1 ^ j » 3 jS |' my old home and beginning a HCAV life , Avithout anything ¦ qjjJ 3 * * to hope for anel little to fear—only a dreary monotony of "" * - " years stretched before me . My life , like this day r , seemed far removed alike from the storms of Avinter and the brightness of summer . As I drove along the country roads , my heart numbed with sorroAV , I felt that for me life Avas over . Life—meaning youth and hope . 1 could scarcely be thankful yet that I had a shelter or a Avarm heart to receive me , tho' at one time I feared that I should not even have that .

My father ( the High Bailiff of Peel ) had not been dead many Aveeks , and I Avas left quite alone in the Avorld . VVe had kept open house in his lifetime , and I had been a sort of lady-bountiful to the country round . When he died there Avas but slight provision left for me , and in the last feAV Aveeks I had found friends kind , but patronising . I could not bear to live in a humble way amongst the people AVIIO had looked up to me .

1 don't think I AA * as proud in my prosperity' . ( " A real lady , Avithout a grain of pride about her , " I had heard myself called . ) It had been easy ancl pleasant to bestoAV favours—not so easy or pleasant to receive them , ancl so I had determined to go and live wit li my old nurse , Nanny Quilliam , in the country , having sufficient to keep me , but not much over for luxuries . I AVUS twenty-eight , and my youth Avas over , I thought . It is twenty years since ; and I do not feel so olcl IIOAV .

How bare and unfriendly the trees looked as I drove along . I should miss the sea and Creg Malin rocks . Ah , IIOAV I loved them ; Avhere my happy childhood and gay youth had been spent ! Those headlands hael been my nursery , my life had been spent in the open air , rocks ami stones had held the place of dolls in my youthful affections . NOAV I AVUS leaving all and beginning my * ncAV life amid

ncAv scenes . My future tlAVclling—I conld not yet call it home—Avas a little cottage with four rooms ami a " laft . " I Avas to have tAvo of these , quite enough for all my requirements .

CHAPTER II .

Nanny ' s hearty welcome Avas soothing to my feelings . " AAV tho bough inillish , the glad 1 am to see ye , it ' s dead ye'll bc Avith the long drive , anil cold and starved into the bargain . Come yer ways in , I ' ve got a comfortable lire for ye in the parlour . " The lire looked cheery , but the room seemed strange to mo , Avith its odd medley of furniture . The AvhiteAvashed A \* alls were hung

with an immense print of the Held of Waterloo , knoAvn to me in my youth , a likeness of myself in sunbonnct and sulky face ( IIOAV Avell I remembered it being taken quarter of a century ago ) , and tAA * o remarkable water-color likenesses of Nanny and her husband , elone b y the well-known "Buck Kcoin , " whom 1 remembered going round to fiirinhouses and painting portraits for his keep . A square table

covered with a red and green cloth , almost Idled the room , and on this were placed Nanny ' s slock of books . A horso-hair sofa occupied one side , and the chairs wero quaint old Chippendale . Chimney-piece and cupboards AVCIC ornamented with an odd mixture of china ladies in Avoutlci'ful costumes , brig ht red china COAVS , candlesticks with dangling pendants , and an assortment of broken china , familiar to my childhood . Nanny evidently expected to be complimented on her "best parlour , " and 1 tried to praise it .

"Mrs. Quilliam."

" Its a poor place , Miss Marcia , not like Avhat you haA'e been used upon , " she said Avith pride that aped humility , " and Avhat there is in it I got mostly from yourselves . AAV , to think of the likes of you comin' to live in my poor house , for all , Avho'd have thought it ? You that Avas mixin' Avith all the quality of the lan' !" "I am only too glad , Nanny , to get aivay from the quality , and take shelter Avith you , " 1 said , giving her a kiss .

" And it ' s myself that ' s proud to recave you , terrible plased I am . I never Avas one for praisin' up myself , but I don't think ye could have made a bather chice of a place . Wasen' I ahvays alloAved to bo a shoektn' good cook ( I bis to be ,, cookin' for the Deempsfchers and the Kays and all to that . Then there Avas no ones that Avud bate me afc clanin' a room , and blackleadit ** ' a grate . Yes , that ' s Avhat the poor misthress Avud be sayin' whten I Avas for gettin' married , ' I don ' t knoAV Avhat we'll do Avithout you , Nanny . ' " " That Avas quite true ; Ave never have had your match since . " " No , its like not , " Nanny complacently remarked .

CHAPTER III . I had been at the Keroo some Aveeks now and Avas getting accustomed to my quiet life . Occasionally old friends came to see me , bufc they did not seem so fond of my society as formerly . It Avas good for my pride . I had thought myself an important person in Peel—noAV 1 saAV IIOAV easil y I could be done Avithout , IIOAV readil y my placo had been filled b y the neAV High Bailiff ' s Avife .

1 soon recovered my spirits , hoAvever , and Avas not lonel y , or even sad , after the first Aveeks . It Avas a happy thing for me thafc I coultl so readily adapt myself to circumstances . With health , books and Avork I Avas never idle or dull .

In the evenings Nanny Avould often come in to me , sometimes knitting while I read aloud , but oftener telling me stories , of Avhich she had a fine stock . The tales of my youth never failed to delight both of us . " You Avere ahvays middlin' fond of yer OAvn Avay , but a Avise child ye Avar , uncommon , Miss Marcia . Do you mind yniithcr

time Avhen ye put yer han' into thc kitchen drawer and filled yer mouth with pepper , thinkin' it AA * as shuggar ? As quate as a mouse ye Avar , for all it burnt yer mouth dreadful , naver a cry did ye givo tho ' , for ye kneAV ri ght Avell I had tauld ye naver to touch that drawer . "

I remembered it perfectly . "Then that timo , Avhen I AA'ent to SIIOAY off yer readin' to my sisther ' s son—him thats in Amerik y noAV and is so good to mc since ' himself ' died . Thinks I to myself when Sarah—that ' s my sisther , Mrs . CoAvle , that ' s gone —\ A * as braggin' about her boy Evan being

such a schollard , ' he ' s naAvthing to Marcia '; so says 1 to her , 'When Evan ' s round with the milk to-night I'll hev him up to our nursery , and let him hear our young lady , the Avay she can read , for all she ' s so young . ' So up me gentleman comes that evenin ' , as bauld as ye plase , for he naver ivass sh y like the mosfc of boys .

Well to be sure , he did take my breath away tho ' , for he read like the pazon himself . Naver Avaited for a stop nor nawthin' till he had finished the chapter . 1 kneAV that yowwern ' t for readin ' like that ; so says I to him , ' You are a big boy , Evan , and Marcia is lilla , but wonderful Icarnin' afc her for her years . —I Avas preparin' him , yo sec , for I didn't Avant you to be put to shame . But wasn' 1 surprised Avhen you up and read a chapter as gud as hinifelf . Well I

remember , it Avas the last chapter of Ecclesiastes . When you hod done , says he , ' She ' s a bather reader till me , and I am the best in CoAvIer ' s school . ' When he Avent out , I says , ' You ' ve come on oncommon in yer larnin' lately , Marcia , ' and you says , - I'll tell you a saycret , Nanny , its a chapter I have off b y heart ; that ' s Avhy I read it so AA'cll . ' Well , AVCII , if I didn' laugh , to be sure—you war a ninted one , Miss Marcia . "

1 recollected the circumstance perfectly , and IIOAV I repented my deception that night , and Avent and told my father Avhat 1 had done , and by his advice confessed my deception to the boy . Ho AVUS an unusually cleA'cr lad , and AVC had become great friends afterwards . Many a time had he pulled me along in my green anil yclloAv NorAvegian cart , and often had I gone AY ith him to fcctl our do «* " Rover . " Mrs . -Quilliam was almost as fond of descanting on this nephew ' s merits as on mine . " He ' s got on terrible well , away foreign , " she