274 YA

Lllinor was receiving to-mght in the great drawing-room, and she looked bt to ragn

there. She wore a dress of golden-hued chiffon. Across her bosom and on the skirt

were sprays of daisies, and the heart of every daisy was a blazing sapphire - type ol the oirl’s nature she was totally unaware ol.

Her father had taken up his favourite position with his back to once ol the hre- places, and she stood nearhime - Mo Rawdon had improved during the Tast few monthes, [Te shuffled less: his clothes, thanks to Iinor, were irreproachable, and, especially since his daughter’s engagement, he had arown daily more calm,

The Peytons were announced.

Sir Arthur and Lady Pevion, Mro Pevton, and Mr. -—-—: the name was lost

Ellinor saw a spare, tall man, keen-faced and vigilant. e was bowing before her She heard a slow, shightly nasal monotone beginning- -

“ I must apologize, NMiss Rawdon He had reached the shight elevation of the last syHable, when an eresistible impulse made her turn from him to her father.

Matthew Rawdon had grown deadly pale. He had leant back agamst the mantel, clutching himsclf nervously.

“Tather t”

He gave a swift moton of the hidding her be still; and with an recovercd himsclf.

A moment later she American’s voice.

“You have a bne place herey Mo Raws don, onc of the hinest I show/d say o this inc country.”’

Her father made some mnaudible reply . the curious pallor was stull upon his face, but dinner was announced ; she had no chance of speaking to him. During dimner she watched him anxiously. She saw that he was more than usually nervous that he drank a good deal of wine. Once or twice she caught o penctrating glance, switt and dircet, thrown by the American to that end ol the table.

Throughout she scemed to hear above

hand, cllort

heard agam the

cvery other sound the shight rise and fall of

that slow, clear monotone, and felt she hated the man. Tt was a reliel and reassurimg to turn her head and cateh Guy's smile, and she was thankful when she could give the signal tor withdrawal.

After the Tadies had gone, the Ameriean had the ficld to himsclf. Fhis metallic: bell aradually silenced the other men, and he got the car of the table.

STNRANLD

M AGAZLNT.

Mr. Rawdons chicl merits as o host were that he gave good wine, good dmners, and left his guests entire {reedom. He o usually headed the table mosilence, with the result that, on the present occasion, his white, cxhausted face escaped remark, except from CGuy Pevton. Matthew Rawdon had now something more than toleration from his future son-in-law partly on IKlhnor’s account, parthy on his own.

The unchtrusive sclf-cffacement of - the lide man appealed strongly to those who

came withm his muediate mfluence,

The Amcerican was chlating on the fortunes made and lost on the other side of the Atlantie,

A\ curtous case,” he was saving, facurious case T knew poor, wretched Tittle clerk man ottice 1 Boston ety he had a wile and child and one hundred and fifty pounds a year. One fine day he presented a cheque at o bank, signed by one of the hest - known names i the ity a cheque for three hundred dollars. The cheque was a forgerye siea forgery ! The man was cauzht, trving to escape to urope, and sent to prison. He had been speculating, gams- bling - buying small shares out of petty ceonomies ;5 evervthing fatled. When he had no more, he foreged a name. Poor little chap, he threw himscll at the feet of the man he had wronged and begged for merey o but he went to the hulks his wile died of a broken heart.

“Now, sir, for the reemarkable pomt. While that man was serving his time, somece darned sentimental fool died, and Teft him cvery penny ol his co-lossal fortune. His time served out, the man went to lurope, where he was unknown, to spend his money. When I saw him again, sir, he was about to ally himselt, through his daughter, to one of the oldest and proudest families of this proud old country. Tle had changed two letters of his name. The name ol the clerk, sir, was [)aw

There was o sound as of a blow, a clatter of silver and classe The host had fallen forward i his chair s his body Tay across the table, the armns stretehed out,

Onee a

“Where s my father 2

Guy Peyton was by Ellmor’s side i the drawingroom. Nearly halt an hour had clapsed sinee the abrupt conclusion of the American’s storys Alre Rawdon had been carvied from the table, but Guy had taken care that no timour of alarm should rcach Linor unul he himscll could go to her.

“ e s onot quite himselt ; he s i the Ibnary.”