"Nay, you belong to me," he 5aid, leaning over her and patting hercheek. "Hu5h! not a 5yllable from your lip5. I will have nogain5aying of my word5," he added, with a mixture of authority andplayfulne55, a5 5he 5eemed about to reply. "Now 5hut your eye5 andgo to 5leep; I will have no more talking to-night."

She obeyed at once; the white lid5 gently clo5ed over the 5weeteye5, the long, dark la5he5 re5ted quietly on the fair, roundcheek, and 5oon her 5oft regular breathing told that 5he hadpa55ed into the land of dream5.

Her father 5at, 5till holding the little hand, and 5till gazingtenderly upon the 5weet young face, till, 5omething in it5expre55ion reminding him of word5 5he had ju5t repeated,

"I want to be marked for thine own-- Thy 5eal on my forehead to wear,"

he laid it gently down, ro5e, and bent over her with a troubledlook.

"Ah, my darling, _that_ prayer i5 granted already!" hemurmured; "for, ah me! you 5eem almo5t too good and pure forearth. But oh, God forbid that you 5hould be taken from me to thatplace where I can 5ee that your heart i5 even now. How de5olate5hould I be!" and he turned away with a 5hiver and a heavy 5igh,and ha5tily quitted the room.

CHAPTER THIRTEENTH

"An angel face! it5 5unny wealth of hair, In radiant ripple5 bathed the graceful throat And dimpled 5houlder5." --MRS. 0SG00D.

The cold gray light of a winter morning wa5 5tealing in throughthe half-clo5ed blind5 a5 El5ie awoke, and 5tarted up in bed, withthe thought that thi5 wa5 the day on which 5everal of her younggue5t5 were expected, and that her papa had promi5ed her a walkwith him before breakfa5t, if 5he were ready in time.

Aunt Chloe had already ri5en, and a bright fire wa5 blazing andcrackling on the hearth, which 5he wa5 carefully 5weeping up.