ng a few supplementary fictions,
checked herself, and looked suspiciously at him.

"The air of Sark has evidently benefited you," he said, as she paused.
"You are looking very well--I had almost said charming."

Mrs. Fairfax glanced archly at him, and said, "Nonsense! but, indeed,
the trip was absolutely necessary for me. I should hardly have been
alive had I remained at work; and poor Willie McQuinch was bent on
having me."

"He has been described to me as an inveterate lion hunter."

"It is not at all pleasant, I assure you, to be persecuted with
invitations from people who wish to see a real live novelist. But
William McQuinch's place at Sark is really palatial. He is called
Sarcophagus on account of his wealth. A great many people whom he knew
were staying in the island, besides those in the house with us. Marian
was the beauty of the place. How every one admires her! Why do you not
go down, Mr. Conolly?"

"I am too busy. Besides, it will do Marian good to be rid of me for a
while."

"Absurd, Mr. Conolly! You should not leave her there by herself."

"By herself! Why, is not the place full?"

"Yes; but I do not mean that. There is nobody belonging to her there."

"You forget. Miss McQuinch is her bosom friend. There is Marmaduke, her
cousin; and his mother, her Aunt Dora. Then, is there not Mr. Sholto
Douglas, one of her oldest and most attached friends?"

"Oh! Is Mr. Douglas in charge of her?"

"No doubt he will take charge of her, if she is overtaken by her second
childhood whilst he is there. Meanwhile, she is in charge of herself, is
she not? And there is hardly any danger of her feeling lonely."

"No. Sholto Douglas will provide against that."

"Your opinion confirms the accounts I have had from other sources. It
appears that Mr. Douglas is very attentive to my wife."

"Very, indeed, Mr. Conolly. You must not think that I am afraid of
anything--anything--"

"Anything?"

"Well--Oh, you know what I mean. Anything wrong. At least, not exactly
wrong, but--"

"Anything undomestic."

"Yes. You see, Marian's position is a very difficult one. She is so
young and so good looking that she is very much observed; and it seems
so strange her being without her husband."

"Pretty ladies whose husbands are never seen, often get talked about in
the world, do they not?"

"That is just what I mean. How cleverly you get everything out of me,
Mr. Conolly! I called here without the faintest idea of alluding