erous groups
in and out among a dozen chairs.

He was a strikingly handsome man, dark, aquiline, tall and lithe of
figure; his clothes fitted him marvellously well at the waist, his
slender arched foot was incased in a marvel of a boot, his black hair was
rather long, and his superb eyes gained a mysterious depth and mellowness
from the length and darkness of their lashes; altogether, it was quite
natural that for the moment the Beauforts and their satellites should
pale somewhat by comparison.

When he bowed over Mrs. Marvin's hand, a thrill of pleasure made itself
manifest in those surrounding them. He spoke in the most melodious of
voices.

"The greatest of pleasures," he was heard to say. "I did not expect
this." And then, in response to some question: "My health since--since my
loss has been very poor. I hope to recover strength and spirits," with an
air of delicate and gentle melancholy. "May I present my boy--Rupert?"

In response to the summons the boy came forward--not awkwardly, or with
any embarrassment, but with a bearing not at all likely to create a
pleasant impression. The guests could see that he was even a handsomer
boy than he had seemed at a greater distance. He was very like his father
in the matter of aquiline features, clear pale-olive skin and superb dark
eyes: his face had even a fineness the older man's lacked, but the
straight marks of a fixed frown were upon his forehead, and his mouth
wore a look which accorded well with the lines.

He approached and bared his head, making his boyish bow in a manner which
did credit to his training, but though he blushed slightly on being
addressed, his manner was by no means a responsive one, and he moved away
as soon as an opportunity presented itself, leaving his father making
himself very fascinating in a gently chivalric way, and establishing
himself as a planet by the mere manner of his address towards a woman who
was neither pretty, young, nor enthusiastic.

There was no woman in the hotel so little prone to enthusiasm as this
one. She was old enough and clever enough to have few illusions. It was
thought singular that though she admitted she had known the Colonel from
his youth, she showed very little partiality for his society, and,
indeed, treated him with marked reserve. She never joined in the choruses
of praise which were chanted daily around her.

"I know the De Willoughbys very well," she said. "Oh, yes, very well
indeed--in a way. We h