,
of course, particularly."

Quincy's thoughts flew quickly to Nantucket and back. Had he foreseen
what was to happen on his coming visit, he would have hesitated still
longer, but thinking that, after all, next Sunday's journey might not
end any more conclusively than the previous one, he presently turned to
his father and answered:

"I will do so. I must go to-morrow, but I will return early on Monday,
and will stay at home the entire week."

"I thank you very much, Quincy," said the Hon. Nathaniel, and he laid
his hand on his son's shoulder as affectionately as he was capable of
doing, when they entered the house.

Lady Elfrida Hastings and her brother, Lord Algernon, arrived in due
season, and Quincy was there to assist at their reception. The former
was tall, and dark, and stately; her features were cast in a classic
mould, but the look in her eye was cold and distant, and the face,
though having all the requirements of beauty, yet lacked it. To Mrs.
Sawyer and her daughter, Florence, the Lady Elfrida was a revelation,
and they yearned to acquire that statuesque repose that comes so natural
to the daughter of an earl. But Maude told her brother that evening that
the Lady Elfrida was a "prunes and prisms," and was sure to die an old
maid.

Lord Algernon was tall and finely built; he had a profusion of light
brown curly hair, and a pair of large blue eyes that so reminded Quincy
of Alice that he took to the young lord at once. They rode, played
billiards, bowled, and smoked together.

One afternoon while they were enjoying a sail in the bay, Quincy
inquired of his guest how he liked America.

"'Pon honor, my dear fellow, I don't know," replied Lord Algernon. "I
came here for a certain purpose, and have failed miserably. I am going
to sail for home in a week, if my sister will go."

"Then you didn't come to enjoy the pleasures of travel?" remarked
Quincy, interrogatively.

"No! By Jove, I didn't. My sister did, and she supposes I did. I'm going
to tell you the truth, Mr. Sawyer. I know you will respect my
confidence." Quincy nodded.

"The fact is," Lord Algernon continued, "I came over here to find a girl
that I'm in love with, but who ran away from me as soon as I told her of
it."

"But why?" asked Quincy, not knowing what else to say.

"That's the deuce of it," replied Lord Algernon; "I sha'n't know till I
find her and ask her. I met her at Nice, in France; she was with her
mother, a Mdme. Archimbau