w that she felt the glorious
rays of this new radiance upon her? And he also--was it possible that he
could ever forget? Surely it had ceased to be just a game to either of
them! Surely, surely, the wonder and the rapture had caught him also into
the magic web--the golden maze of Romance!

She leaned her head on her hand and gave herself up to the great
enchantment, feeling again his kisses upon lips and eyes and brow, and
the thrilling irresistibility of his hold. Ah, this was life indeed! Ah,
this was life!

A soft footfall near her made her look up sharply, and she saw Rose de
Vigne approaching. Rose was looking even more beautiful than usual, yet
for the first time Dinah contemplated her without any under-current of
envy. She moved slightly to make room for her.

"I haven't come to stay," Rose announced with her quiet, well-satisfied
smile, as she drew near. "I have promised to sing at to-night's concert
and the padre wants to look through my songs. Well, Dinah, my dear, how
are you getting on? Is that a letter to your mother?"

Dinah suppressed a sigh. "Yes. I've only just begun it. I don't know in
the least what to say."

Rose lifted her pretty brows. "What about your new friend Sir Eustace
Studley's sister? Wouldn't she be interested to hear of her? Poor soul,
it's lamentably sad to think that she should be mentally deranged. Some
unfortunate strain in the family, I should say, to judge by the younger
brother's appearance also."

Dinah's green eyes gleamed a little. "I don't see anything very unusual
about him," she remarked. "There are plenty of little men in the world."

"And crippled?" smiled Rose.

"I shouldn't call him a cripple," rejoined Dinah quickly. "He is quite
active."

"Many cripples are, dear," Rose pointed out. "He has learnt to get the
better of his infirmity, but nothing can alter the fact that the
infirmity exists. I call him a most peculiar little person to look at. Of
course I don't deny that he may be very nice in other ways."

Dinah bit her lip and was silent. To hear Scott described as nice was to
her mind less endurable than to hear him called peculiar. But somehow she
could not bring herself to discuss him, so she choked down her
indignation and said nothing.

Rose seated herself beside her. "I call Sir Eustace a very interesting
man," she observed. "He fully makes up for the deficiencies of his
brother and sister. He seems to be very kind-hearted too. Didn't I see
him helpi