now I must go; it would never do to be found here by these grand
people--Captain and Miss Danton."

His wet overcoat hung on a chair; he put it on while walking to the
door, with Grace by his side.

"When shall I see you again, Frank?"

"To-morrow. I want to have a look at our English beauty. By Jove! it
knows how to rain in Canada."

The cold November blast swept in as Grace opened the front door, and the
rain fell in a downpour. In the black darkness Grace could just discern
a white horse fastened to a tree.

"That is ominous, Grace," said her brother. "Captain Danton and his
daughter come heralded by wind and tempest. Take care it is not
prophetic of domestic squalls."

He ran down the steps, but was back again directly.

"Who was that pale, blue-eyed fairy I met when I entered?"

"Eveleen Danton."

"Give her my best regards--Doctor Frank's. She will be rather pretty, I
think; and if Miss Kate snubs me, perhaps I shall fall back on Miss
Eveleen. It seems to me I should like to get into so great a family.
Once more, _bon soir_, sister mine, and pleasant dreams."

He was gone this time for good. His sister stood in the doorway, and
watched the white horse and its tall, dark rider vanish under the
tossing trees.

CHAPTER II.

KATE DANTON.

Grace went slowly back to the parlour and stood looking thoughtfully
into the fire. It was pleasant in that pleasant parlour, bright with the
illumination of lamp and fire--doubly pleasant in contrast with the
tumult of wind and rain without. Very pleasant to Grace, and she sighed
wearily as she looked up from the ruby coals to the radiant face smiling
down from over the mantel.

"You will be mistress to-morrow," she thought; "the place I have held
for the last four years is yours from to-night. Beautiful as a queen.
What will your reign be like, I wonder?"

She drew up the arm-chair her brother had vacated and sat down, her
thoughts drifting backward to the past. Backward four years, and she saw
herself, a penniless orphan, dependent on the bounty of that miserly
Uncle Roosevelt in Montreal. She saw again the stately gentleman who
came to her, and told her he was her father's third cousin, Captain
Danton, of Danton Hall. She had never seen him before; but she had heard
of her wealthy cousin from childhood, and knew his history. She knew he
had married in early youth an English lady, who had died ten years
after, leaving four children--a son, Henry, and th