from the country.

Rose turned as Corona entered, and ignoring all reserve, said sweetly:

"I hope you have been resting, dear, and that you feel refreshed. Shall
I ring and order luncheon? I wish to do all I can, dear, to prove my
appreciation of all the kindness shown me; yet not to be officious."

Now, how could Cora repulse the advances of so very good humored a
woman? She believed her to be false and designing. She longed with all
her heart and soul to be rid of the woman and her insidious influence.
Yet she could not hear that sweet voice, those meek words, or meet those
soft blue eyes, and maintain her manner of freezing politeness.

"If you please," she answered, gently, and then said to herself:
"Heavens! what a hypocrite this unwillingness to hurt the woman's
feelings does make me!"

Rose rang the bell and ordered the luncheon.

They sat down in apparent amity to partake of it.

The afternoon waned and evening came, but brought no Iron King back to
the hotel.

"Have you any idea at what hour Mr. Rockharrt will return, dear?"
inquired Mrs. Stillwater, in her most dulcet tones.

"Not the slightest."

"I think he said something about going down to Wall Street to see after
the forming of a syndicate in connection with his grand speculation.
What is a syndicate, dear?"

"I don't know--it may be an agency or a company--"

"Or it may be something connected with the building of the new
synagogue, which it is said is to be constructed of iron."

Cora was surprised into the first laugh she had had in two years. But
the mirth was very short-lived. It came and passed in an instant, and
then a pang of remorse seized her heart that she could have laughed at
all. She was thinking of her lost Rule, and of her own guilty share in
his tragic fate. If she had not let her fancy and imagination become so
dazzled by the rank and splendor of the British suitor as to blind her
heart and mind for a season, as to make her think and believe that she
really loved this new man, and that she had never loved, and could never
love, Ruth Rothsay, though she must keep her engagement with him and
marry him--had she not broken down and given way to her emotions on that
fatal evening of their wedding day--then Rule would never have made his
great renunciation for her sake--would never have wandered away into the
wilderness to meet his death from murderous hands. How could she ever
laugh again? she asked herself.

"What is the ma