es of bewilderment, when women are as
truly out of their own control by nervous excitement as if they were
intoxicated; and Lillie's looks and words and actions towards Harry
were as open a declaration of her feelings as if she had spoken them
aloud to every one present.

The scandals about them were confirmed in the eyes of every one that
looked on; for there were plenty of people present in whose view of
things the worst possible interpretation was the most probable one.

Rose was in the way, during the course of the evening, of hearing
remarks of the most disagreeable and startling nature with regard to
the relations of Harry and Lillie to each other. They filled her with
a sort of horror, as if she had come to an unwholesome place;
while she indignantly repelled them from her thoughts, as every
uncontaminated woman will the first suspicion of the purity of a
sister woman. In Rose's view it was monstrous and impossible. Yet when
she stood at one time in a group to see them waltzing, she started,
and felt a cold shudder, as a certain instinctive conviction of
something not right forced itself on her. She closed her eyes, and
wished herself away; wished that she had not let Mrs. Van Astrachan
go home without her; wished that somebody would speak to Lillie and
caution her; felt an indignant rising of her heart against Harry, and
was provoked at herself that she was engaged to him for the "German."

She turned away; and, taking the arm of the gentleman with her,
complained of the heat as oppressive, and they sauntered off together
into the bowery region beyond.

"Oh, now! where can I have left my fan?" she said, suddenly stopping.

"Let me go back and get it for you," said he of the whiskers who
attended her. It was one of the dancing young men of New York, and it
is no particular matter what his name was.

"Thank you," said Rose: "I believe I left it on the sofa in the yellow
drawing-room." He was gone in a moment.

Rose wandered on a little way, through the labyrinth of flowers and
shadowy trees and fountains, and sat down on an artificial rock where
she fell into a deep reverie. Rising to go back, she missed her way,
and became quite lost, and went on uneasily, conscious that she had
committed a rudeness in not waiting for her attendant.

At this moment she looked through a distant alcove of shrubbery, and
saw Harry and Lillie standing together,--she with both hands laid upon
his arm, looking up to him and sp