ugh to London to attend to your business at the
Admiralty," said Mr. Atherton, "and you will meet a visitor at my house,
who is one of the most charming girls in England--the only daughter of
the great Mr. Restall. Good heavens! have you never heard of him?
My dear sir, he's one of the partners in the famous firm of Benshaw,
Restall, and Benshaw."

Cosway was wise enough to accept this last piece of information as quite
conclusive. The next day, Mrs. Atherton presented him to the charming
Miss Restall; and Mrs. Atherton's young married daughter (who had been
his playfellow when they were children) whispered to him, half in jest,
half in earnest: "Make the best use of your time; she isn't engaged
yet."

Cosway shuddered inwardly at the bare idea of a second marriage. Was
Miss Restall the sort of woman to restore his confidence?

She was small and slim and dark--a graceful, well-bred, brightly
intelligent person, with a voice exquisitely sweet and winning in
tone. Her ears, hands, and feet were objects to worship; and she had an
attraction, irresistibly rare among the women of the present time--the
attraction of a perfectly natural smile. Before Cosway had been an hour
in the house, she discovered that his long term of service on foreign
stations had furnished him with subjects of conversation which favorably
contrasted with the commonplace gossip addressed to her by other men.
Cosway at once became a favorite, as Othello became a favorite in his
day.

The ladies of the household all rejoiced in the young officer's success,
with the exception of Miss Restall's companion (supposed to hold the
place of her lost mother, at a large salary), one Mrs. Margery.

Too cautious to commit herself in words, this lady expressed doubt and
disapprobation by her looks. She had white hair, iron-gray eyebrows, and
protuberant eyes; her looks were unusually expressive. One evening, she
caught poor Mr. Atherton alone, and consulted him confidentially on the
subject of Mr. Cosway's income. This was the first warning which opened
the eyes of the good lawyer to the nature of the "friendship" already
established between his two guests. He knew Miss Restall's illustrious
father well, and he feared that it might soon be his disagreeable duty
to bring Cosway's visit to an end.

On a certain Saturday afternoon, while Mr. Atherton was still
considering how he could most kindly and delicately suggest to Cosway
that it was time to say good-by, a