picture-gallery here. It is something better than
chance, Miss Bawn."

We stood looking at each other with a happy intimacy. And then his
mention of the portrait recalled the miniature I had found in the wood.
I had had a foolish girl's fancy to hang it about my neck under my
dress, and it lay there now, suspended by a slender gold chain which was
one of my godmother's gifts to me. I had a shy reluctance to let him
know I carried it there.

"By the way," I said, "I believe I have a jewel of yours. I found it in
the wood."

His eyes lightened and darkened in a way that was peculiar to him and
his cheek flushed.

"You have found the miniature?" he said, in great excitement. "I was
heartbroken for the loss of it. Have you got it with you?"

He had stretched out his hand as though he expected his recovered
treasure to be handed to him at once, and I could not deny that I had
it, so I took it from about my neck, murmuring something about having
carried it for safety and that the case was at Aghadoe and should be
returned to him.

"I thought you were gone to the ends of the earth," I said lamely; "and
I was so afraid that I might lose it before I should have a chance of
returning it."

He took it gently and looked at it for a second. Then he kissed it.

"Why, it is warm from its resting-place," he said, "and so the dearer."

And then he took it off from its little chain and placed it in an inner
pocket of his coat, handing me back the chain.

"Maybe you'd like to see what picture it was that made me a trespasser,"
he said, with a suddenly reckless air. "Come, child, and you shall see.
Perhaps it was the discovery that the dead was come alive that sent off
two decent fellows to find a Spanish galleon without me. There are
better things than gold. Aye, faith, the gold on a woman's head, the
light in her eye, may be worth many treasure-ships."

We went back through the baize door through which he had come. There was
a second door within it which being opened disclosed the
picture-gallery; that, being lighted from overhead, had not the gloom of
the rest of the house.

I looked around me at the ruffled and periwigged gentlemen, the smiling
ladies, who were my ancestors and ancestresses, with interest.

"There is a picture of my grandmother here which I am said to resemble,"
I said, as I looked down the line of pictures, "though I am ashamed to
say that I am thought to resemble her, seeing that she is a great
beau