he week, but none the less
welcome on that account," remarked Mr. Wellington. "We have been having
gay times, and I have only needed your presence to make my enjoyment
complete. But where is that precious son of yours? How is it that Raymond
did not come with you?"

Mona held her breath at this.

The question had told her that the new arrival was Ray's father, and that
the young man had also been invited to join the gay company that was
sojourning beneath the hospitable roof.

She leaned farther over the railing that she might not fail to catch Mr.
Palmer's reply.

"Oh," answered that gentleman, as he removed his overcoat and gloves,
"Ray is not yet quite as strong as we could wish, although he calls
himself well, and he feels hardly equal to much dissipation as yet.
Besides, he is rather depressed just now."

"Over the affair of the diamonds, I suppose?" Mr. Wellington observed.

"Yes, and--some other matter that troubles him."

"I am very sorry. I was depending upon him to help amuse some of our fair
young guests," said his host. Then he added, with considerable interest:
"Any new developments regarding that remarkable robbery?"

"No; and I do not imagine there ever will be," Mr. Palmer gravely
returned.

"Then you have given up all hope of ever recovering them?"

"Well, almost, though I have a detective on the lookout yet, and he
thinks if he can get track of the thief in this case, she will prove to
be the very woman that he has been searching for during the last three
years. He imagines that she is the same one who was concerned in a bold
swindle in Chicago about that time."

"Well, I sincerely hope that he will be successful in finding her; such
wickedness should not be allowed to prosper," said Mr. Wellington. "I am
really sorry about Ray, though--he is such capital company, and there are
six or eight wonderfully pretty girls here who will be deeply
disappointed when they learn that he is not coming at all."

The two gentlemen passed into the drawing-room just then, and Mona heard
nothing more.

She deeply sighed, and continued to stand there for some moments lost in
thought.

She could not really make up her mind whether she was more disappointed
than rejoiced over Ray's failure to meet this engagement.

It would have been very pleasant to see him again, but it would also have
been very humiliating to have him find her there in the capacity of a
servant, and ignore her on this account, as Loui