parted lips, waiting in an attitude of expectancy for Herbert's appearance.

Presently he came.

My dear old Willson," he said, holding out both his hands, "how glad Iam to see you again!"

"O Mr. Herbert, is it really yourself?" she replied, scanning his countenance with eager and affectionate wistfulness. "God be thanked," she murmured, as he stooped and kissed her withered cheek, "that I have lived to see this day!"

"And my poor mother?" said Herbert, softly, after they had conversed together for a few minutes; "has Lady Stanley prepared her for meeting me?"

"I will go and find out," replied Mr. Seymour, "and, Willson, you had better come too; we may be in need of your assistance."

I hope there is no danger of her being excited?" observed the young man, a little anxiously, as he noted the sudden gravity of Will

son's face.

"It is not that I'm afraid of," she replied, dubiously shaking her head; "but don't you think," turning abruptly to Mr. Seymour, " we ought to call in a medical man, in case we found it necessary to

We have already taken that precaution," quickly rejoined Herbert; "Dr. Gibson is in the next room with Sir Edward Stanley, so that we could at any instant avail ourselves of his services."

"Have you reason to consider him skilful?" inquired Mr. Seymour, in a low tone, "because this being a peculiar case, requires peculiar treatment."

"He is decidedly the cleverest physician in Lanchester," was Herbert's confident response. "I am myself greatly indebted to him for the extreme kindness and attention he paid me during a long and very severe illness I had when I first arrived here some years ago."

"Ah, that terrible time!" ejaculated Mr. Seymour, almost with a shudder; "often and often have I thought of it since, and never without feeling a pang of remorse at my cruel desertion of you, my

"The past again," interrupted Herbert, half reproachfully; "my dear father, I fancied we had decided that it should be from henceforth a tabooed subject with us."

"It is not easy to forget," replied Mr. Seymour, "but I will try." And though he sighed at the recollection of his former injustice, he smiled likewise.

Before bringing the conversation between herself and Mrs. Seymour to the precise point she wished, Lady Stanley preferred encouraging her poor friend to talk of herself, and her as yet unsuccessful attempts to find her son, in order that she might be thus unabled to form a pretty accurate idea of the present scope of Mrs. Seymour's mental capacity, and decide whether the important communication she had in store for her would be likely to be followed by any unfavourable consequences.

The result of her investigation was in the highest degree satisfactory, and she proceeded without further delay-cautiously and with gentle, womanly tact-to hint at the possibility of Herbert's speedy arrival.

When she had allowed the anxious mother a sufficient time to reflect upon this intelligence, Lady Stanley tried to make her realize the fact of his being at that moment in Lanchester, by describing him in terms

of warm and affectionate admiration, and ended by speaking of his intense love for his mother, and the great anxiety he must at that moment be enduring, lest she should punish him for his long absence by refusing to see him until the next day.

"Oh, that would be very unkind of me," said the poor lady, rousing herself from a sort of reverie in which she seemed to have fallen; "if I knew where he was, I would instantly send and tell him to come to me at once. I don't wonder at his being rather ashamed to face us, after remaining away so long, but he need not be afraid that we shall resent it."

"Then I may bring him in immediately, if he should have arrived?” questioned Lady Stanley, rising from her seat. "Oh, here is Mr. Seymour," she added, as the door just then opened, and that gentleman appeared on the threshold; "he will be able to tell us."

A glance at his wife's face showed him that she was prepared for the meeting.

Without a word, therefore, he took Herbert by the arm, and, lead. ing him forward, with smiling lips, but eyes which glistened with feeling, exclaimed, in a low, tremulous voice,

"Here he is, my dear."

"At last!" murmured Mrs. Seymour, springing eagerly from her couch, and gazing at him for half a minute with an expression of joyous bewilderment and intense delight. Then, when she found herself folded in his strong arms, and felt his warm kisses upon her cheeks, and the happy tears which, man though he was, Herbert could not restrain, she gave way to one convulsive, soblike sound; her face became overspread with a deadly pallor, her hands grew cold and rigid, and she would have fallen upon the floor, had not her son caught her up, and laid her with tender care on the sofa she had so lately vacated.

"Don't alarm yourselves," said Dr. Gibson, whose assistance they instantly procured; "joy rarely kills."

And with this assurance they tried to console themselves, though Herbert, who was greatly shocked and grieved at the sad change which had taken place in his poor mother's appearance since last he had seen her, found it very difficult to restrain his feelings, or to persuade himself that this sudden reaction from hope deferred to the perfect realization of her hitherto unaccomplished desire, would not prove fatal.

"She looks so weak and fragile," he said, mournfully, to Lady Stanley, when she endeavoured to comfort him. "I fear this will shake her terribly."

"Forbear these desponding thoughts, my son," interposed Mr. Seymour, who had drawn near them unperceived, leaving Willson and the doctor to use the necessary means towards restoring their patient to consciousness; "when she once gets over this, there will be no more danger."

"Will she get over it?" was Herbert's gloomy reply, accompanied by a very melancholy shake of the head.

"Herbert!" And Mr. Seymour laid his trembling hand upon his son's arm, and gazed into his face with an expression of firm trust and confidence which surprised while it encouraged him. "The unexpected and totally undeserved goodness and mercy I have this night experienced lead me to hope and believe that the same beneficent

Being who has thus wonderfully preserved us to meet again under such auspicious circumstances, will continue to carry on the work He has so graciously begun, and spare us yet a little while together, for the purpose of strengthening and cementing the bond of union which now most happily binds our family together."

"Would it not be a good plan to have Mrs. Seymour conveyed, while in this state, to her own apartment?" inquired Lady Stanley of the doctor, whom she presently joined.

"Yes; I was about to suggest it," he answered, in a low tone; "it will be much better for her to open her eyes upon a new scene, instead of being all at once reminded of what has occurred."

And turning again to his patient, he began to superintend her removal into another room.

CHAPTER LXXXIX.

MR. SEYMOUR'S WISHES ANTICIPATED.

"Oh, lost and found! all gentle souls below
Their dearest welcome shall prepare."
"I watched the little flutterings,

The doubt my mother would not see;
She spoke at large of many things,
And at the last she spoke of me;
And turning, looked upon your face,
As near this door you sat apart,
And rose, and with a silent grace,

Approaching, pressed you heart to heart."

Keble.

TENNYSON.

WHEN Mrs. Seymour awoke to consciousness, she found herself lying upon her bed, attended only-as she supposed-by Willson, who was leaning over her, with a vessel containing some sort of cordial in her hand, and an anxious, troubled expression upon her careworn face.

A low-breathed sigh of relief escaped her lips as the poor lady opened her eyes and cast a glance of inquiry around the large but dimly lighted room.

"Where am I, Willson?" she asked in tones of faint surprise. "I think I must have been dreaming," she continued, without waiting for an answer to the question, "so many things seemed to have happened. I fancied I had a long conversation with Lady Stanley, who came to tell me about Herbert, and then I actually saw him— yes, saw him myself! and heard him speak; but afterwards it was all confusion. What could it mean? Was it nothing but a dream?” And starting from her recumbent position, she rubbed her eyes, and essayed to collect her scattered senses.

66

Perhaps it was something better than a dream," warily suggested Willson; "I'm sure it's high time for us to be hearing about Mr. Herbert and seeing him, too, for that matter-after taking so much pains to find him.”

For several succeeding minutes Mrs. Seymour appeared lost in thought, and though her visual orbs were fastened upon Willson's countenance with apparent intelligence, it was evident to her sharpsighted attendant that she was for the time quite unconscious of her presence.

A slight quiver passing over the delicate features gave the first token of returning recognition.

Then she drew a long and deepened inspiration, and addressing Willson in a short, hurried voice, asked abruptly,—

"Has Lady Stanley been here?"

Yes, and is still here, my dear Mrs. Seymour,” replied her ladyship, coming forward in propriâ personâ.

"And Herbert ?" whispered Mrs. Seymour, returning the pressure of her friend's hand, and gazing earnestly and wistfully into her face.

"He is here also," answered Mrs. Stanley, in her peculiarly gentle and soothing tones.

"Then it was all true?" questioned Mrs. Seymour, below her breath.

Lady Stanley assented.

'Ah, I remember it now!" exclaimed the poor lady, with sudden animation and a quick flash of delighted recollection; "I should much like to talk to him. Can I see him?" added she, looking imploringly up in Lady Stanley's face."

"We are rather afraid it might be too exciting for you just at present," replied the latter, after glancing inquiringly at Willson; "still if you think you could bear it

"Bear it," interposed Mrs. Seymour, with a little laugh, "of course I can; it will do me more good than anything else."

"Very well," said Lady Stanley, "I will send him to you; and as I shall probably be gone before your conversation is over, I will take this opportunity of wishing you good night."

"I hope we shall meet again to-morrow," responded her friend, warmly embracing her; “I want to thank you for bringing Herbert back to us, and also to hear all about his movements during the past few years."

"You will find out that from himself," smilingly rejoined Lady Stanley; "but I will be sure to call in the morning."

And leaving her under Willson's care, she rejoined the others in the drawing-room, and explained to Dr. Gibson the nature of Mrs. Seymour's wish.

"It is perfectly natural," said that gentleman, in a tone of cheerful confidence; "and if you, sir," turning meaningly to Herbert, who bent his head in silent acquiescence, "are prepared to obey the injunctions I have already given you, there can be no risk whatever in acceding to your mother's request."

Accordingly our hero lost not a moment in proceeding to Mrs. Seymour's apartment, where he remained for upwards of an hour. She would have detained him still longer, but her husband, wishing to put an end to an interview which must, he knew, in spite of every precaution, be attended with some sort of agitation, and knowing what motive would be most likely to influence her, came suddenly in upon them, and aroused all her motherly sympathies by gently reminding her of the lateness of the hour, and expressing his fears that, unless Herbert was at once allowed to retire to rest, he would suffer from the effects of the various kinds of excitement he had that day undergone.

Hearing this, she instantly dismissed him for the night (or rather morning, for it was long past midnight), earnestly charging Willson to see that his comforts were properly attended to.

Mr. Seymour looked ten years younger when he and Herbert met at a late breakfast.

The latter had already found time to pay a short visit to the Stanleys, as he was anxious to discover whether they had made any change in their former arrangements; and now, by Lady Stanley's express desire, he proposed to his father that they should give up