ith eager interest.

What was spoken in her ladyship's chamber and Lady Laura's
boudoir--their half-formed plans and aspirations--carelessly dropped
words and unfinished sentences--quickly travelled to the housekeeper's
parlor--to the servant's table--to the haunts of grooms and stable
boys--to the farmer's daughters--and to the public rooms of the
Queensderry Inn.

Thus it was Cassandra heard tales of the brother and sister and mother
of her David, and of him also. How it was said that once he was engaged
to a rich tradesman's daughter but had broken it off and gone to America
against the wishes of all his family, and had become a common
practitioner there to the disgust of all his relatives; and again
Cassandra felt that she had left a sweet and lovely world behind her to
step into "Vanity Fair."

She tried to hold fast her faith in goodness and high purpose. She was
sure--sure--David had been moved by noble motives; why should she not
trust him now? Did this girl know him better than she--his wife? Yet, in
spite of her valiant spirit, two facts fell like leaden weights upon her
heart. David had not told his people that he had a wife, and they would
be offended that he had "tied himself to a common sort over there." This
David whom she loved was so high above her in the eyes of all his
relatives and perhaps even in his own. What--ah, what could she do!
Might she still hold him in her heart? She could not walk in upon them
now and betray him--never--never.

Her lips grew pale, and her head swam, but she sat still, leaning a
little forward in the moving phaeton, her hands tightly clasped in her
lap and her babe unheeded at her side, until the red returned to her
lips and again burned in a clearly defined spot against the pallor of
her cheek. She did not know that a strange, unearthly beauty was hers. A
carriage met them filled with gay people. She did not notice them, but
they gazed at her and turned to look again as they passed.

"I say, you know!" said one of the men, as they whirled by.

"There, that was Lady Geraldine Temple in that carriage, and the young
man who stared so hard is her son. They've been paying a visit, or maybe
they've brought Lady Clara to stay a bit. They say both families are
keen for the match--and why shouldn't they be? Oh, they'll entertain the
king here some day, and then there'll be high times at Daneshead!"

An automobile flashed by them, and then another. "There must be a party
her