s Cadwallader; and her answer, "No -- take it away!" --
was given with startling decision. The man had known his young
mistress before to speak with lips that were supreme in their
expression. He only obeyed, without even wondering. Elizabeth
in a whirl of feeling that like the smoke of the volcano hid
everything but itself, went and stood in the window; present
to nothing but herself; seeing neither the street without nor
the house within. Wrapped in that smoke, she did not know when
the servant went out, nor whether anybody else came in. She
stood there pale, with lips set, her hands folded against her
waist, and pressing there with a force the muscles never
relaxed. How long she did not know. Something aroused her, and
she discerned, through the smoke, another figure in the room
and coming towards her. Elizabeth stepped out from the window,
without altering anything but her place, and stood opposite to
Winthrop Landholm. If it had been Queen Elizabeth of old and
one of her courtiers, it would have been all one; the young
man's respectful greeting could not have been met with more
superb regality of head and brow.

"I have a letter for Mr. Haye," said Winthrop, "which my
brother left in my charge. That brought me here this morning,
and I ventured to make business an excuse for pleasure."

"It may lie on the table till he comes," said Elizabeth with
the slightest bend of her stately little head. She might have
meant the letter or the pleasure or the business, or all
three.

"You are well, Miss Haye?" said Winthrop doubtfully.

"No -- I am well enough," said Elizabeth. A revulsion of
feeling had very nearly brought down her head in a flood of
tears; but she kept that back carefully and perfectly; and the
next instant she started with another change, for Rose came
in. _She_ gave Winthrop a very smiling and bright salutation;
which he acknowledged silently, gravely, and even distantly.

"Aren't you well, Mr. Landholm?" was Rose's next instant
question, most sweetly given.

"Very well," he said with another bow.

"What have you been talking about, to get so melancholy?
Lizzie --"

But Rose caught sight of the gathered blackness of that face,
and stopped short. Elizabeth bestowed one glance upon her; and
as she then turned to the other person of the party the
revulsion came over her again, so strong that it was
overcoming. For a minute her hands went to her face, and it
was with extreme difficulty that the ris