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lp me to speak to him！〃
Alfred began to feel dire misgivings。
〃Yes；〃 said she； 〃I love you too well to let any hand but mine wound you。〃 And here she took his sinewy hand with her soft palm。 〃I want to soften it in the telling： and ah； how can I？ Oh； why can I not throw myself body and soul between you and all trouble； all sorrow？〃
〃My Julia；〃 said Alfred gravely； 〃something has happened to Jane。〃
〃Yes； Alfred。 She met with a terrible accident。〃
〃Ah！〃
〃She was struck by an unfortunate man； he was not in his right mind。〃
〃Struck？ My sister struck。 What； was there no man by？〃
〃No。 Edward nearly killed him afterwards。〃
〃God bless him。〃
〃Alfred； be patient。 It was too late。〃
〃What； is she hurt seriously？ Is she disfigured？〃
〃No； Alfred；〃 said Julia solemnly； 〃she is not disfigured； oh far from that。〃
〃Julia； you alarm me。 This comes of shutting her brother up。 May Heaven's eternal curse light on those who did it。 My poor little sister！ How you weep； Julia。 My heart is lead。〃
〃I weep for you； darling； not for her。〃
〃Ah； that is how they talk when those we love areOne word！ I shall never see my poor little Jenny again； shall I？〃
〃Yes； Alfred； if you will but follow her steps and believe in Him； who soothed her last hour； and made her face shine with joy like an angel's while we all wept around。 Oh dear； oh dear； oh dear； he said he had but one true friend in the world。 Alas it is so； you have but me now； who pity you and love you more than heart can utter； my own； my beloved； my bereaved。〃
What could soften such a shock as this？ It fell； and his anguish was frightful； all the more so that he ascribed the calamity to his imprisonment； and mingled curses and threats of vengeance with his bursts of grief。 He spurned the consolations of religion： he said heaven was as unjust as earth； as cruel as hell。
She cried out and stopped his mouth with her hand； she almost forced him to kneel beside her； and prayed aloud for him： and when at last his agony found vent in tears； she put her innocent arms round his neck and wept with him。
Every now and then the poor fellow would almost shriek with remorse。 〃Oh； if I had only been kinder to her！ if I had but been kinder to her！〃
〃You were kind to her；〃 said Julia softly； but firmly。 〃Oh； no； I was always sneering at her。 And why？ I knew her religion was sincere： but my little mind fixed on a few phrases she had picked up from others； and I〃 He could say no more； but groaned with anguish。 And let his remorse be a caution to us all。 Bereaved we all must be； who live on and on： but _this；_ bereavement's bitterest drop； we may avoid。
〃Alfred；〃 said Julia； 〃do not torment yourself。 We girls care little about a few sarcasms； it is the cold heart that wounds us。 You loved Jane； and she knew it well； and joyed in it。 You were kinder to her than you think； and so her dying thoughts were for you。 It was for you she asked； and made your father send for you； and poor I hoped you would come。 And； dearest； her last act was to write a few words to you； and trust them to her who she knew loved you better than heart can utter。 Since it was her wish； let us try and read them together； the last words of a saint （I have never seen them）； and； if they do not prove words of love； then I will let you think you were not a good brother to her you and I； and poor； poor Edward； have lost。〃
He made a sad sign of assent； and Julia rose and got the enclosure。 But； as Jane's last written words reappeared on the scene in a somewhat remarkable way； I will only say here； that both these poor young things tried in vain to read them； and both in turn burst out sobbing； so that they could not： so they held the paper and tried to see the words out of their streaming eyes。 And these two mourners had the room to themselves till midnight； for even Mrs。 Dodd's hostility respected Alfred then； and as for Julia； she was one of those who rise with the occasion： she was half wife； half angel from Heaven to her bereaved lover through all those bitter hours。
CHAPTER XLVIII。
No life was ever yet a play： I mean； an unbroken sequence of dramatic incidents。 Calms will come； unfortunately for the readers； happily for the read。 And I remember seeing it objected to novelists； by a young gentleman just putting his foot for the first time into 〃Criticism；〃 that the writers aforesaid suppress the small intermediate matters which in real life come by the score between each brilliant event： and so present the ordinary and the extraordinary parts of life in false proportions。 Now； if this remark had been offered by way of contrast between events themselves and all mortal attempts to reproduce them upon paper or the stage； it would have been philosophical； but it was a strange error to denounce the practice as distinctive of fiction： for it happens to be the one trait the novelist and dramatist have in common with the evangelist。 The Gospels skip fifteen years of the most interesting life Creation has witnessed； they relate Christ's birth in full； but hurry from His boyhood to the more stirring events of His thirtieth and subsequent years。 And all the inspired histories do much the same thing。 The truth is； that epics； dramas； novels； histories； chronicles； reports of trials at law； in a word； all narratives true or fictitious； except those which； true or fictitious； nobody reads； abridge the uninteresting facts as Nature never did； and dwell as Nature never did on the interesting ones。
Can nothing； however； be done to restore； in the reader's judgment； that just balance of 〃the sensational〃 and the 〃soporific；〃 which all writers； that have readers； disturb？ Nothing； I think； without his own assistance。 But surely something with it。 And； therefore； I throw myself on the intelligence of my readers； and ask them to realise； that henceforth pages are no strict measure of time； and that to a year big with strange events； on which I have therefore dilated in this story； succeeded a year in which few brilliant things happened to the personages of this tale： in short； a year to be skimmed by chronicler or novelist； and yet （mind you） a year of three hundred and sixty…five days six hours； or thereabouts； and one in which the quiet； unobtrusive troubles of our friends' hearts； especially the female hearts； their doubts； divisions； distresses； did not remitfar from it。 Now this year I propose to divide into topics； and go by logical； rather than natural； sequence of events。
THE LOVERS。
Alfred came every day to see Julia； and Mrs。 Dodd invariably left the room at his knock。
At last Julia proposed to Alfred not to come to the house for the present； but to accompany her on her rounds as district visitor。 To see and soothe the bitter calamities of the poor had done her own heart good in its worst distress； and she desired to apply the same medicine to her beloved； who needed it： that was one thing： and then another was； that she found her own anger rising when her mother left the room at that beloved knock： and to be angry with her poor widowed； mother was a sin。 〃She is as unfortunate as I am happy；〃 thought Julia； 〃I have got _mine_ back。〃
Alfred assented to this arrangement with rather an ill grace。 He misunderstood Julia； and thought she was sacrificing him to what he called her mother's injustice。 This indeed was the interpretation any male would have been pretty sure to put on it。 His soreness； however； did not go very far； because she was so kind and good to him when they were together。 He used to escort her back to the door of 66： and look imploringly； but she never asked him in。 He thought her hard for this。 He did not see the tears that flowed for that mute look of his the moment the door was closed； tears she innocently restrained for fear the sight of them should make him as unhappy as his imploring look made her。 _Mauvais calcul！_ She should have cried right out。 When we men are unhappy； we like our sweethearts to be unhappierthat consoles _us。_
But when this had gone on nearly a month； and no change； Alfred lost patience： so he lingered one day at the door to make a request。 He asked Julia to marry him： and so put an end to this state of things。
〃Marry you； child？〃 cried Julia； blushing like a rose with surprise and pleasure。 〃Oh； for shame！〃
After the first thrill； she appealed to his candour whether that would not be miserably selfish of her to leave her poor mother in her present distressed condition。 〃Ah； Alfred； _so_ pale； _so_ spiritless； and inconsolable！ My poor； poor mother！〃
〃You will have to decide between us two one day。〃
〃Heaven forbid！〃 said Julia； turning pale at the very idea。 But he repeated doggedly that it must come to that； sooner or later。 Then he reminded her of their solemn engagement； and put it to her whether it was a moral proceeding in her to go back from her plighted troth？ What had he done to justify her in drawing back from her word？ 〃I admit；〃 said he； 〃that I have _suffered_ plenty of wrong for your sake： but what have I done wrong？〃
Undeterred by the fear of immorality； the monotonous girl had but one reply to his multiform reasons： 〃This is no time for me to abandon my mother。〃
〃Ah； it is her you love： you don't care for me；