ry
pale, and, to Mr. Byrd's eyes, looked thoroughly worn out, if not ill.
Yet, she bore herself with a steadiness that was evidently the result of
her will; and manifested neither reluctance nor impatience when the
eager Mr. Duryea pressed forward with his compliments, though from the
fixedness of her gaze and the immobility of her lip, Mr. Byrd too truly
discovered that her thoughts were far away from the scene of mirth and
pleasure in which she found herself.

"You see I have presumed to follow you, Miss Dare," was the greeting
with which Mr. Duryea hailed her approach. And he immediately became so
engrossed with his gallantries he forgot to introduce his companion.

Mr. Byrd was rather relieved at this. He was not yet ready to submit
her to the test he considered necessary to a proper understanding of the
situation; and he had not the heart to approach her with any mere
civility on his tongue, while matters of such vital importance to her
happiness, if not to her honor, trembled in the balance.

He preferred to talk to Miss Tremaine, and this he continued to do till
the young fellows at his side, one by one, edged away, leaving no one in
that portion of the room but himself and Miss Tremaine, Mr. Duryea and
Miss Dare.

The latter two stood together some few feet behind him, and were
discussing in a somewhat languid way, the merits of a _musicale_ which
they had lately attended. They were approaching, however, and he felt
that if he did not speak at once he might not have another opportunity
for doing so during the whole evening. Turning, therefore, to Miss
Tremaine, with more seriousness than her gay and totally inconsequent
conversation had hitherto allowed, he asked, in what he meant to be a
simply colloquial and courteous manner, if she had heard the news.

"News," she repeated, "no; is there any news?"

"Yes, I call it news. But, perhaps, you are not interested in the murder
that has lately taken place in this town?"

"Oh, yes, I am," she exclaimed, all eagerness at once, while he felt
rather than perceived that the couple at his back stood suddenly still,
as if his words had worked their spell over one heart there at least.
"Papa knew Mrs. Clemmens very well," the little lady proceeded with a
bewitchingly earnest look. "Have they found the murderer, do you think?
Any thing less than that would be no news to me."

"There is every reason to suppose----" he began, and stopped, something
in the deadly silen