le, kissed her lips.

There came a warning rattle at the door handle, and Molly, disengaging
herself softly from her betrothed's embrace, but still retaining his
arm, turned to witness the entrance of Miss O'Donoghue and Mr.
Landale.

On the former's face, under a feigned expression of surprise, now
expanded itself in effulgence the plenitude of that satisfaction which
had been dawning there ever since her return from the island.

Rupert held himself well in hand. He halted, it is true, for an
instant at the first sight of Sir Adrian and Molly, and put his
handkerchief furtively to his forehead to wipe the sudden cold sweat
which broke out upon it. But the hesitation was so momentary as to
pass unperceived; and if his countenance, as he advanced again, bore
an expression of disapproval, it was at once dignified and restrained.

"So you are there, Molly," exclaimed the old lady with inimitable
airiness. "Just imagine, my dear, I had those letters in my pocket all
the while, after all. You did not find them, did you?"

But Adrian, still retaining the little hand on his arm, came forward
slowly and broke through the incipient flow.

"Aunt Rose," said he in a voice still veiled by emotion, "I know your
kind heart will rejoice with me, although you may not be so surprised,
as no doubt Rupert will be, at the news we have for you, Molly and I."

"You are right, Adrian," interrupted Rupert gravely, "to any who know
your life and _your past_ as I do, the news you seem to have for us
must seem strange indeed. So strange that you will excuse me if I
withhold congratulations. For, if I mistake not," he added, with a
delicately shaded change of tone to sympathetic courtesy, and slightly
turning his handsome face towards Molly, "I assume that my fair
cousin de Savenaye has even but now promised to be my sister, Lady
Landale."

Sir Adrian who, softened by the emotion of this wonderful hour, had
made a movement to grasp his brother's hand, but had checked himself
with a passionate movement of anger, instantly restrained, as the
overt impertinence of the first words fell on his ears, here looked
with a shadowing anxiety at the girl's face.

But Molly, who could never withhold the lash of her tongue when Rupert
gave the slightest opening, immediately acknowledged her enemy's
courtly bow with sauciness.

"What! No congratulations from the model brother? Not even a word of
thanks to Molly de Savenaye for bringing the truant to