ation, and then
Mrs. Ogilvie dressed and went out to dine, and told many of her
friends of her golden dreams.

"A place in the country, a place like Silverbel, has always been the
longing of my life," she said, and she looked pathetic and almost
ethereal, as she spoke, and as though nothing pleased her more than a
ramble through country lanes with buttercups and daisies within reach.

On the following Sunday, Rochester happened to lunch with Mrs. Ogilvie
and her little daughter. Mrs. Ogilvie talked during the entire meal of
the beautiful place which was soon to be hers.

"You shall come with Sibyl and me to see it to-morrow," she said. "I
will ask Lady Helen to come, too. I will send her a note by messenger.
We might meet at Victoria Station at eleven o'clock, and go to
Silverbel and have lunch at the little inn on the river."

Rochester agreed somewhat eagerly. His eyes brightened. He looked at
Sibyl, who gave him a meaning, affectionate, sympathetic glance. She
would enjoy very much seeing the lovers wandering through beautiful
Silverbel side by side.

"It's the most darling, lovely place," she said; "nobody knows how
beautiful it is. I do hope it will soon be ours."

"When our ship comes in, it will be ours," said Mrs. Ogilvie, and she
laughed merrily and looked full of happiness.

When the servants left the room, however, Rochester bent forward and
said something to Mrs. Ogilvie which did not please that good lady
quite so much.

"Have you heard the rumors with regard to the Lombard Deeps Gold
Mine?" he asked.

"What rumors?" Mrs. Ogilvie looked anxious. "I know nothing whatever
about business," she said, testily, "I leave all that absolutely to my
husband. I know that he considers the mine an excellent one, but his
full report cannot yet have reached England."

"Of course it has not. Ogilvie's report in full cannot come to hand
for another six weeks. I allude now to a paragraph in one of the great
financial papers, in which the mine is somewhat depreciated, the gold
being said to be much less to the ton than was originally supposed,
and the strata somewhat shallow, and terminating abruptly. Doubtless
there is no truth in it."

"Not a word, not a word," said Mrs. Ogilvie; "but I make a point of
being absolutely ignorant with regard to gold mines. I consider it
positively wrong of a woman to mix herself up in such masculine
matters. All the sweet femininity of character must depart if such
knowledge is