es of meeting him, and devoted herself
assiduously to her music and studies.

The marriage of a friend residing in Albany had called Olga thither,
and in the confusion and hurried preparation incident to the journey
she had found, or at least improved, no leisure to refer to the
subject of the remarks made by Mrs. Carew and Mr. Chesley relative to
Mr. Eggleston.

Mr. Congreve and Mrs. Palma had accompanied Olga to the railroad
depot, and she departed in unusually high spirits.

Several days elapsed, during which Mr. Palma's abstraction increased,
and by degrees Regina learned from his stepmother that a long pending
suit involving several millions of dollars was drawing to a close.

As counsel for the plaintiff, he was summing up and preparing his
final speech. An entire day was consumed in its delivery, and on the
following afternoon as Regina sat at the library table writing her
German exercise, she heard, his footsteps ascending with unwonted
rapidity the hall stairs. Outside the door he paused, and accosted
Mrs. Palma who hastened to meet him.

"Madam, I have won."

"Indeed, Erle, I congratulate you. I believe it involves a very large
fee?"

"Yes, twenty thousand dollars; but the victory yields other fruit
quite as valuable to me. Judges McLemore and Mayfield were on the
defence, and it cost me a very hard fight: literally--' _Palma non
sine pulvere_.' The jury deliberated only twenty minutes, and of
course I am much gratified."

"I am heartily glad, but it really is no more than I expected; for
when did you ever fail in anything of importance?"

"Most signally in one grave matter, which deeply concerns me.
Despite my efforts, Olga's animosity grows daily more intense, and it
annoys, wounds me; for you are aware that I have a very earnest
interest in her welfare. I question very much the propriety of your
course in urging this match upon her, and you know that from the
beginning I have discouraged the whole scheme. She is vastly
Congreve's superior, and I confess I do not relish the idea of seeing
her sacrifice herself so completely. I attempted to tell her so,
about a fortnight since, but she stormily forbade my mentioning
Congreve's name in her presence, and looked so like an enraged
leopardess that I desisted."

"It will prove for the best, I hope; and nothing less binding, less
decisive than this marriage will cure her of her obstinate folly.
Time will heal all, and some day, Erle, she will understa