r children. Pauline returned to Elaine, and
soon forgot everything else.

She was aroused by a slight stir. She heard Lady St. Lawrence say:

"My dear Vane, how you startled me!"

Looking up, she saw before her the same face that had engrossed her
thoughts and fancy!

She was nearer to it now, and could see more plainly the exquisite
refinement of the beautiful mouth, the clear, ardent expression of the
bold, frank eyes, the gracious lines of the clustering hair. Her heart
seemed almost to stand still--it was as though she had suddenly been
brought face to face with a phantom.

He was bending over Lady St. Lawrence, talking eagerly to her--he was
greeting Miss Hastings with much warmth and cordiality. Pauline had
time to recover herself before Lady St. Lawrence remembered her. She had
time to still the wild beating of her heart--to steady her trembling
lips--but the flush was still on her beautiful face and the light in her
eyes when he came up to her.

Lady St. Lawrence spoke, but the words sounded to Pauline as though they
came from afar off; yet they were very simple.

"Miss Darrell," she said, "let me introduce my son to you."

Then she went back to Miss Hastings, eager to renew the conversation
interrupted by the entrance of her son.

What did Sir Vane see in those dark eyes that held him captive? What was
looking at him through that most beautiful face? What was it that seemed
to draw his heart and soul from him, never to become his own again? To
any other stranger he would have spoken indifferent words of greeting
and welcome; to this dark-eyed girl he could say nothing. When souls
have spoken, lips have not much to say.

They were both silent for some minutes; and then Sir Vane tried to
recover himself. What had happened to him? What strange, magic influence
was upon him? Ten minutes since he had entered that room heart-whole,
fancy-free, with laughter on his lips, and no thought of coming fate.
Ten minutes had worked wonders of change; he was standing now in a kind
of trance, looking into the grand depths of those dark eyes wherein he
had lost himself.

They said but few words; the calm and silence that fell over them during
that first interval was not to be broken; it was more eloquent than
words. He sat down by her side; she still held the book open in her
hands. He glanced at it.

"Elaine," he said, "do you like that story?"

She told him "Yes," and, taking the book from her hands, he read th