and refused to do so. With pain the young man remarked that her manners towards him were strangely altered. She begged him to return home; she said she had not yet made up her mind when she should marry-she would write to him regularly if he would but go back to Manchester and leave her for a time in peace.

In this painful and uncertain position the suitor, William Prescott, still remained in Newcastle. Caroline saw him each day, and each day she grew colder and colder towards him.

The father pondered over his daughter's inconstancy without once guessing its cause. There was one in the theatre who could have informed old Grumby as to the motive of Caroline's inexplicable behaviour, and that person was Pops, the call-boy.

One rainy evening in March, an hour previous to per formance, Emma was sitting in the green-room, conning over the words of her part, when Mr. Murden and Caroline Grumby entered. As the gas was not lighted, and Emma was in a dark corner, away from the fire, her presence was unobserved by the couple.

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Pops!" said Mr. Murden.

"Yes, sir!" replied the call-boy, popping his red head into the apartment.

"Keep a good look-out for the she dragon!"

"Right as ninepence, sir!"--and Pops's head disappeared. Now, Caroline," said Mr. Murden, "what have you done with the Manchester man?"

"Dismissed him," rejoined the girl, removing her wet bonnet, which she tossed on the settee.

Emma longed to cough or move, in order that they might know she was in the room; but some uncontrollable impulse kept her silent.

"Dismissed him!-Well!" said Mr. Murden.

"Is it well, Edwin Murden?" asked Caroline, in a hollow voice.

"Of course it's well!" returned he; "yet it would be a confounded deal better if I weren't chained to a wife."

"I have given up all for you," proceeded the girl, in choking accents; "you will be a fiend if you desert me!" "Good Heavens! haven't I pledged my honour to you?"

Caroline laughed bitterly.

"Don't laugh, Caroline!" said Mr. Murden, in an uneasy

tone.

"You talk of honour to me!" said the girl reproachfully; speak of feeling, and I will listen to you."

"Grant me patience, Caroline. You knew I was married; I couldn't deceive you regarding my cursed situation."

"Hush!—you do not understand me," said she passionately. "I will bear her insults, wounding as they are-I will endure the loss of my father's affection-I will defy the world's scorn-I will brave every trial, so you remain true to me, and love me on."

"Deuce take me, Caroline, if I like to be doubted in this fashion," drawled Mr. Murden, twisting his moustache; "and if you are going to turn out a spitfire, why, I shall wish that the Manchester man had

you."

“Is this your feeling ?—is this your love?" asked she in a sorrowful tone.

"Do you wish to quarrel with me?”

"Heaven help me, no!" she answered, bursting into tears. Well, then, let things go on as usual.”

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"I cannot. You must swear-solemnly swear-never to abandon me or the child to which I shall soon give birth."

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Child, Caroline!" exclaimed Mr. Murden, in a startled tone. "Confusion take me!-why wasn't I informed on this point before?"

"The news is then painful to you, Edwin Murden?" said she, clinging to his arm.

"Is the Manchester man gone?" he suddenly inquired. "I know not," replied the girl in a bewildered tone; “I parted from him at the door of the theatre."

"For the last time?"

"I told him I would see him no more."

"You must," said Mr. Murden, firmly," you must see him again; you must marry him!'

The girl staggered against the wall, and remained silent. "Did you hear me, Caroline?"

"Yes!" she replied in a whisper; and her arms dropped by her side.

"You'll be better off with him than you would be with

me," proceeded the cool villain; "I didn't calculate upon this. You see, dear girl, the difficulty of the case.

Should my wife discover this affair there would be a regular outburst, and I should be a ruined man. Do you hear me, Caroline?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, send a note to the Manchester man, recall him, and let there be an end to this unfortunate matter. You agree to this, Caroline ?"

A sharp cry broke from her white lips.

"What's the matter?" said he, laying his hand upon her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, with a shudder; "let me go," she continued, shrinking away from him, and speaking in gasps," let me go and dress-I shall be late."

"One kiss!" said he lightly,-" come, a last kiss.” "Not if it would save you from.

"The dragon, sir!" said Pops, hurrying into the greenroom and stirring the fire up. Mr. Murden coolly began to hum an opera air, and sauntered out of the apartment, followed by Pops; while, with a groan, the unfortunate girl sank senseless upon the floor.

Emma flew to her side, raised her, and spoke words of comfort to the poor bruised heart.

"Come, come, rouse yourself, my child," said she; "you must make a resolute effort to face your difficulties. Come to your dressing-room; there is no one there; come."

Caroline, docile as an infant, permitted Emma to lead her up-stairs.

"Thank Heaven!" said Emma, as they entered their dressing-room," thank Heaven there is nobody but you and me in the first piece, and the dresser is too deaf to hear anything we may say.

Caroline did not reply, but mechanically commenced disrobing. The wretched girl seemed transformed: now and then a heavy, suffocating sob rose, but no tears fell—no, not one drop. She did not question Emma regarding her presence in the green-room at the time of her fall. The hapless girl appeared stupefied with grief.

"Arf-hour, ladies," shouted the call-boy; then he knocked, and called the dresser.

"What do you want?" asked Emma, rushing before the woman, and pushing her aside.

"Miss Grumby."

"She's dressing, you can't see her.”

"Here's a letter for her.

door for a hanswer."

Gen'lman waiting at the stage

"Very well; come again in about five minutes.”

"All right, mum,"—and Pops went whistling up-stairs, bawling at each door, "The arf-hour !"

"A letter for you," said Emma, softly.

Caroline started and trembled violently.

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Read, it, my dear," said Emma ; some one is waiting for an answer.'

"Yes, yes!" murmured Caroline, taking the letter, and turning it over and over, all the while looking at it with a wild, glassy stare.

May I read it for you?" asked Emma. "Yes-yes!"

"Dutton," said Emma to the dresser, "go, fetch my part out of the green-room, I left it on the mantel-shelf."

On the woman's disappearance, Emma broke open the letter, and read as follows:

"MY DEAREST CAROLINE,

"Save me from madness, I implore you! Unsay your refusal! Write on a slip of paper Yes, or No.

"WILLIAM PRESCOTT."

Caroline took her pencil, and wrote on the back of her lover's note-"No."

"Is that your answer ?" inquired Emma.

"It is."

The dresser returned.

"Pops is outside, ladies; he's waiting for something," said the woman, as she entered.

"Give him this," said Emma, handing the returned letter containing the fearful monosyllable.

In another half-hour Emma accompanied Caroline into the green-room: the poor girl suffered Emma to do as she pleased with her. She appeared to listen to her, but made no résponse to anything she said save by deeply sighing.

Mrs. Murden entered the apartment, and Emma remarked that Caroline shuddered violently.

"Here, Pops!" cried the lady in a loud voice.

"Yes, mum," said the call-boy, rushing into the room. "Whose bonnet is that?" demanded the lady, pointing to the wet bonnet left on the settee by Caroline.

Dunno, mum.'

"You never know anything," said Mrs. Murden, advancing towards the fireplace and taking up the tongs.

"Lor ha' mussy, mum ! don't strike me with those things!" -and Pops retreated.

"Fool!" exclaimed the lady in suppressed rage, and, seizing the bonnet with the tongs-" There! take that thing to the ladies' dresser, with my compliments, and say that the next time any article of dress is left in the greenroom I shall not be so lenient as I am on the present occasion, for I shall throw the bonnet, or whatever it may chance to be, behind the fire."

Pops took the tongs out of the lady's gloved hands, and did his mistress's bidding to the letter.

Caroline's lips twitched, and her throat swelled as Mrs. Murden sailed out of the apartment.

"Madame Cardonizzi and Miss Grumby!" shouted Pops." Emma and Caroline rose and proceeded to the stage.

"Come, cheer up!" whispered Emma, as they stood at the wing, waiting for their cue.

Mrs. Murden was standing in the opposite entrance, intently watching Caroline. Emma marked the lady's flushed cheeks and flashing eyes, and wondered whether she suspected the dreadful truth of the unhappy girl's position. The incident of the bonnet in the green-room and Mrs. Murden's coarse and unladylike behaviour respecting it, led Emma to fear that she more than suspected.

The cue was given, and, hand in hand, Emma and Caroline Grumby walked on the stage. Emma spoke first, and in accordance with the character of the scene, for some minutes kept her arms around the drooping girl. Then came