She'll sing for me," returned Arthur, proudly.

"She said she would, though she had meant never to sing again." Christian blushed violently, for the boy, in his unconscious way, had referred to a little episode of his illness, when, having exhausted all efforts to soothe him into drowsiness, she had tried her voice, silent for many months--silent since before she had known Dr.Grey.

She had wished it so--wished to bury all relics of that time of her youth deep down, so that no chance hand could ever dig them up again.
"Do you really sing ?" asked Dr.Grey, a little surprised, and turning full upon her those grave, gentle, tender eyes.
She blushed more painfully than ever, but she answered steadily, "Yes, I was supposed to have a very fine voice.

My father wished it cultivated for the stage.

It might have been so if things had been different." "Would you have liked it ?--the stage, I mean." "Oh no, no!" with a visible, unmistakable shudder.