, he had found himself caught at another
from which a radiance shone that dimmed all other lights. Yet it was
fast shut. At length he determined to cut the knot. He would put his
fate to the test.

Two days after he formed this resolve he walked into the hotel at
Brookford and registered. As he turned, he stood face to face with Mrs.
Nailor. Mrs. Nailor of late had been all cordiality to him.

"Why, you dear boy, where did you come from?" she asked him in pleased
surprise. "I thought you were stretched at Mrs. Wentworth's feet in
the--Where has she been this summer?"

Keith's brow clouded. He remembered when Wickersham was her "dear boy."

"It is a position I am not in the habit of occupying--at least, toward
ladies who have husbands to occupy it. You are thinking of some one
else," he added coldly, wishing devoutly that Mrs. Nailor were
in Halifax.

"Well, I am glad you have come here. You remember, our friendship began
in the country? Yes? My husband had to go and get sick, and I got really
frightened about him, and so we determined to come here, where we should
be perfectly quiet. We got here last Saturday. There is not a man here."

"Isn't there?" asked Keith, wishing there were not a woman either. "How
long are you going to stay?" he asked absently.

"Oh, perhaps a month. How long shall you be here?"

"Not very long," said Keith.

"I tell you who is here; that little governess of Mrs. Wentworth's she
was so disagreeable to last winter. She has been very ill. I think it
was the way she was treated in New York. She was in love with Ferdy
Wickersham, you know? She lives here, in a lovely old place just outside
of town, with her old aunt or cousin. I had no idea she had such a nice
old home. We saw her yesterday. We met her on the street."

"I remember her; I shall go and see her," said Keith, recalling Mrs.
Nailor's speech at Mrs. Wickersham's dinner, and Lois's revenge.

"I tell you what we will do. She invited us to call, and we will go
together," said Mrs. Nailor.

Keith paused a moment in reflection, and then said casually:

"When are you going?"

"Oh, this afternoon."

"Very well; I will go."

Mrs. Nailor drove Keith out to The Lawns that afternoon.

In a little while Miss Huntington came in. Keith observed that she was
dressed as she had been that evening at dinner, in white, but he did
not dream that it was the result of thought. He did not know with what
care every touch had been made to r