ng the year in
America. The other day I had to look something up in his diary for him,
and not till then did I find out how terribly he must have taxed his
strength. On an average he got one night's rest in the week, on
the others he slept as well as he could in the long cars, which are
wretchedly uncomfortable; the sleeping cars being expensive, he wouldn't
go in them."

Mrs. Fane-Smith sighed. Her brother was becoming more of a living
reality to her; she thought of him less as a type of wickedness. The
recollection, too, that she had been all her life enjoying the money
which he and her sister Jean had forfeited by their opinions, made her
grieve the more over the little details of poverty and privation. Old
Mr. Raeburn had left all his money to her, bequeathing to his other
daughter and his reprobate son the sum of one shilling, with the hope
that Heaven would bring them to a better mind. It was some comfort to
learn from Erica that at last the terrible load of debt had been cleared
off, and that they were comparatively free from trouble just at present.

With these thoughts in her mind, Mrs. Fane-Smith found herself on her
way to Lady Caroline's; but her developing breadth of view was destined
to receive a severe shock. They were the last guests to arrive, and at
the very moment of their entrance Lady Caroline was talking in her most
vivacious way to Mr. Cuthbert, a young clergyman, the vicar of one of
the Greyshot churches.

"I am going to give you a treat, Mr. Cuthbert," she said laughingly. "I
know you are artistic, and so I intend you to take down that charming
niece of Mrs. Fane-Smith's. I assure you she is like a Burne-Jones
angel!"

Mr. Cuthbert smiled a quietly superior smile, and coolly surveyed Erica
as she came in. Dinner was announced almost immediately, and it was not
until Mrs. Fane-Smith had been taken down that Lady Caroline brought Mr.
Cuthbert to Erica's side to introduce him. "Why, your aunt has never told
me your name," she said, smiling.

"My name is Erica Raeburn," said Erica, quite unconscious that this was
a revelation to every one, and that her aunt had purposely spoken of her
everywhere as "my niece."

Lady Caroline gave a scarcely perceptible start of surprise, and
there was a curious touch of doubt and constraint in her voice as
she pronounced the "Mr. Cuthbert, Miss Raeburn." Undoubtedly that name
sounded rather strangely in her drawing room, and awoke uncomfortable
suggestions.