here was no token of
recognition on the part of either; but the Governor, in passing, put out
his hand to shake Russell's, and asked for Mr. Campbell. Again and again
they met during the ensuing hour, but no greeting was exchanged; then he
disappeared. As Irene leaned against the window-frame in the crowded
supper-room, she heard Charlie Harris gaily bantering Maria on the events
of the evening.

"What have you done with Aubrey? I will challenge him before to-morrow
morning, for cutting me out of my schottische with his prosy chat."

"Oh! he left a half-hour ago; excused himself to mother, on the plea of
starting off to court at daybreak. He is perfectly fascinating; don't you
think so, Grace? Such eyes and lips; and such a forehead!"

Once more in his own room at the quiet boarding-house, Russell lighted the
gas-burner over a small desk, and sat down to a mass of papers. The
apartment was cold; the fire had long since died out; the hearth looked
ashy and desolate. The measured tones of the watchman on the town-tower
recalled him, finally, from his work; he took off his watch and wound it
up. It wanted but three hours to dawn, but he heeded it not; the sight of
the massive old watch brought vividly back the boyish days of sorrow, and
he sat thinking of that morning of shame, when Irene came close to him,
nestling her soft little hand in his, and from some long-silent, dark,
chill chamber of memory leaped sweet, silvery, childish echoes--

"Oh, Russell! if I could only help you!"

Since his return from Europe he had accustomed himself to think of her as
Hugh's wife; but he found it daily more difficult to realize that she could
willingly give her hand to her heedless, self-indulgent cousin; and now the
alteration in her manner toward him perplexed and grieved him. Did she
suspect the truth, and fear that he might presume on her charity in bygone
years? To his proud spirit this was a suggestion singularly insulting, and
he had resolved to show her in future that he claimed not even a nod of
recognition. Instead of avoiding her, as formerly, he would seek occasions
to exhibit an indifference which he little thought that her womanly heart
would rightly interpret. He had found it more difficult than he supposed to
keep his attention chained to Maria's and Grace's gay nonsense; to prevent
his eyes from wandering to the face whose image was enshrined in his lonely
heart, and now, with complex feelings of tenderness and angr