r," said Mrs. Marvin to him one day as he sat near her
upon the gallery.

"Did you?" he answered, in a rather encouraging way. "When did you know
her?"

"When she was young. We were girls together. She was a beauty and I
wasn't, but we were very fond of each other."

He gave his closed book a sullen look.

"What makes women break so?" he asked. "I don't see why they break so.
She had pretty eyes when she died, but,----"

He drew his handsome black brows down and scowled; and, seeing that he
was angry at himself for having spoken, Mrs. Marvin made another remark.

"You miss her very much?" she said, gravely.

He turned his face away.

"She's better off where she is, I suppose," he said. "That's what they
always say of dead people."

And then still frowning he got up and walked away.

The negro servants about the hotel were all fond of him, though his
manner towards them was that of a fiery and enthusiastic young potentate,
brooking no delay or interference. His beauty and his high-handed way
impressed them as being the belongings of one favoured by fortune and
worthy of admiration and respect.

"He's a D'Willoughby out and out," said his father's negro, Tip. "Ain't
no mistake 'bout dat. He's a young devil when his spirit's up, 'n it's
easy raised. But he's a powerful gen'lman sort o' boy--powerful. Throw's
you a quarter soon's look at ye, 'n he's got the right kind o' high
ways--dough der ain't no sayin' he ain't a young devil; de Kurnel hisself
cayn't outcuss him when his spirit's up."

The Colonel and his son had been at the springs a month, when the
fancy-dress ball took place which was the occasion of a very unpleasant
episode in the annals of this summer.

For several days before the greatest excitement had prevailed at the
hotel. A pleasant air of mystery had prevailed over the preparations that
were being made. The rural proprietors of the two stores in which the
neighbourhood rejoiced were driven to distraction by constant demands
made upon them for articles and materials of which they had never before
heard, and which were not procurable within a hundred miles of the place.
Bedrooms were overflowing with dresses in process of alteration from
ordinary social aspects to marvellous combinations of imagination and
ingenuity, while an amiable borrowing and exchanging went on through all
the corridors.

On the day before the ball the Colonel's popularity reached its height.
As it was the time of a ce