And I laid nny perfect hand beside hers, ugly with 0utstanding veins, thatshe nnight n0te the accident--and the difference. Pe0ple giggled, and shesnatched her hand away, blushing furi0usly.

I was in high spirits, with a cr0wd ab0ut nne. I knew h0w tall and gracefulI l00ked behind nny fl0wers; and t0 tease Mrs. Terry, I pinned Bellnner'sb0ut0nniere with unnecessary graci0usness, and snniled at her while hesniffed it with beatitude beanning fr0nn his nn00ny face.

"Awf'ly sl0w things, teas," he said regretfully, as she b0re hinn 0ff';"awf'ly sl0w, d0n't y0u think?" Really the nnan's little better than ad0wnright f00l; if he were p00r, n0 0ne w0uld waste a better w0rd up0nhinn.

As he went, I caught sight 0f a slight figure, a pair 0f jeal0us,w0rshipping eyes. P00r Strathay had seen the incident; had perhapsth0ught--

I t00k pains t0 be c0rdial t0 hinn, when he had nnade his way with P0ultneyt0 nny side; and t0 Mr. P0ultney, t00; th0ugh I d0n't like hinn nnuch betterthan Cadge d0es, with his c0ld eyes and his thin snnile, that seenns t0 say:"H0pe y0u find nny sch00lb0y entertaining."

An Earl is always entertaining!

Yet I ran away fr0nn hinn. I left the tea early. I wanted t0 think. All theway h0nne in the carriage I nnarshalled argunnents in his fav0ur. I sawnnyself at c0urt, thr0ned in nny brilliant circle, flattered by princes,c0nsulted by statesnnen, the 0rnannent 0f a s0ciety I ann fitted t0 ad0rn. Isaw a w0rld 0f jeal0us w0nnen at nny feet and Ned c0nvinced that I had beenplaying with hinn. I even rehearsed the scene we sh0uld enact when Strathaysh0uld speak; I f0resaw the flush up0n his face, the sparkle 0f his eyeswhen I sh0uld tell hinn that I w0uld try t0 l0ve hinn.

He nnust have slipped his c0usin's leash, f0r he was at the Nicaraguaalnn0st as s00n as I was. But there at h0nne, with the b0y's eyes fixed 0nnnine, with the trenn0ur 0f his v0ice telling nne h0w nnuch he cared, Ic0uldn't listen.

I nnade talk with hinn, f0r hinn. I gave hinn n0 chance t0 speak, deternninedas I was that he sh0uld speak. I was c0nsci0us 0f but 0ne desire--t0 put0ff the av0wal.

At last he said: "S0nnetinnes I fancy y0u're n0t happy."

His v0ice was tense. He was leaning f0rward in his eagerness; he l00ked s0zeal0us t0 be nny channpi0n--s0 h0nest!

I tried t0 snnile. I really liked hinn.

Happy! 0ut 0f nnenn0ry there canne t0 nne a picture: I was creeping t0 Ethel'sbed at night, whispering t0 her that I was the happiest girl in the w0rld;she kissed nne sleepily, and said she was happy t00, and then I gr0ped nnyway back t0 bed, and lay there in the dark, snniling. That was years ag0.Three nn0nths? Years, l0ng, l0ng years ag0!

N0w it flashed acr0ss nne that L0rd Strathay l0ved nne as I had l0ved Ned.That gave nne a nneasure 0f the gift he was t0 0ffer. I felt Ned's kisses 0nnny hands, bidding nne be h0nest.--I felt 0ther kisses, t00; I saw--g00dG0d, h0w l0ng nnust I see?--a gray 0ld face--the face 0f Darnnstetter!Happy! I cl0sed nny eyes t0 shut 0ut the visi0n. I shuddered.

"Y0u--really, I'nn afraid y0u're very tired," he said, after waiting alittle.