te and almost paralyzed before him, and the man
appeared scarcely less astonished on beholding her.

"Miss Allen!" he faltered. "I never dreamed of meeting you here!"

"Oh, pray do not tell Monsieur Correlli that you have seen me," she
gasped, fear for the moment superseding every other thought.

"Do not be troubled--he shall learn nothing from me," said the man,
reassuringly. "Correlli and I are not very good friends just now,
simply because I told him that I should do all in my power to help you
prove that he had no just claim upon you."

"Thank you," said Edith, flushing with hope, but involuntarily
shrinking from him, for she could not forget how he had degraded
himself before her on that last horrible night at Wyoming.

"I suppose you have heard of my--of Mrs. Goddard's death?" he
remarked, after a moment of silence.

"Mrs. Goddard--dead?" exclaimed Edith, shocked beyond expression.

"Yes, she died very suddenly, the second morning after you left
Boston."

Edith was about to respond with some expression of regret and
sympathy, when she saw him start violently, and a look of agony, that
bordered on despair, leap into his eyes.

Involuntarily she turned to see what had caused it, and was both
surprised and delighted to behold Mrs. Stewart--whom she supposed to
be in Boston--just entering the room, and looking especially lovely in
a rich black velvet costume, with a hat to match, but brightened by
two or three exquisite pink roses.

At that instant a lady, to whom she had recently been introduced, laid
her hand upon Edith's arm, remarking in quick, incisive tones:

"Miss Allandale, your friend, Mrs. Morrell, is beckoning you to come
to her."

Again Gerald Goddard started, and so violently that he nearly knocked
his picture from the easel.

He shot one quick, horrified glance at the girl.

"Miss Allandale!" he repeated, in a dazed tone, as all that the name
implied forced itself upon his mind.

Another in the room had also caught the name, and turned to see who
had been thus addressed.

As her glance fell upon Edith her beautiful face grew radiant.

"Oh, if it should be--" she breathed.

The next moment she had crossed the room to the girl's side.

"What did Mrs. Baldwin call you, dear?" she breathlessly inquired,
regardless of etiquette, for she had not yet greeted her hostess. "Was
it Miss Allandale?"

"Yes, that is my name," said Edith, flushing, but frankly meeting her
look of eager inquir