Despite the chronic sneers with which Olga always referred to his
character and habitual conduct, Regina could not withhold a reverence
for his opinion, and an earnest admiration of his grave, dignified,
yet polished deportment in his household.

By degrees her early dread and repulsion had melted away, confidence
and respect usurped their place; and gradually he had grown and
heightened in her estimation, until suddenly opening her eyes wide
she saw that Erle Palma filled all the horizon of her hopes.

During three sleepless nights she had kept her eyes riveted upon this
unexpected and mournful fact, and while deeply humiliated by the
discovery, she proudly resolved to uproot and cast out of her heart
the alien growth, which she felt could prove only the upas of her
future. Allowing herself absolutely no hope, no pardon, no quarter,
she sternly laid the axe of indignant condemnation and destruction to
the daring off-shoot, desperately hewing at her very heart-strings.

Mrs. Carew's manner left little doubt that she was leaning like a
ripe peach within his reach, ready at a touch to fall into his hand;
and though Regina felt that this low-browed, sibyl-eyed woman was
vastly his inferior in all save beauty and wealth, she knew that even
his failure to marry the widow would furnish no justification for the
further indulgence of her own foolish and unsought preference.

The dread lest he might suspect it, and despise her, added intensity
to her desire to leave New York, and find safety in joining her
mother; for the thought of his cold contempt, his glittering black
eyes, and curling lips, was unendurable.

Weeks must elapse ere she could receive an answer to her letter,
praying for permission to sail for Europe, and during this trying
interval, she determined to guard every word and glance, to allow no
hint of her great folly to escape.

Peleg Peterson's daughter, or else "Nobody's Child," daring to lift
her eyes to the lordly form of Erle Palma!

As this bitter thought taunted and stung her, she uttered a low cry
of anguish and shame.

"What is the matter? Don't cry, it will spoil your pretty eyes."

Regina turned quickly, and saw little Llora Carew standing near, and
arrayed only in her long white night dress, and pink rosetted
slippers.

"Llora, how came you out of bed? You ought to have been asleep three
hours ago."

"So I was. But I waked up, and felt so lonesome. Mammie has gone off
and left me, and