was the
matter, and said she looked ill. Her answer was contained in the few
sarcastic words,--

'The heat. I hear you have suffered from it also.'

Although Freda could not, herself, enter into the conversation she could
observe the by-play between the colonel and Miss Nugent; the bashful,
simpering smiles of the young lady, the flattering glances of the
gentleman. She would not have believed, when she awoke that morning,
that it was possible to endure so much real suffering as she was
enduring, in the short space of one quadrille.

It was over at last, and Colonel Vaughan led her to a seat amongst some
ladies. She said she would go to her father, when she saw that he was
going to sit down by her side. He offered her his arm again, and took
her to the drawing-room; here she found her father, somewhat apart from
the rest of the company, talking to Lady Mary, or more properly being
talked to by her. She sat down on a sofa near her father, and bowing
statelily to Colonel Vaughan, said,--

'I will not detain you. I shall remain here for the present.'

He made some passing observation to Mr Gwynne, and returned to the
drawing-room, followed shortly after by Lady Mary.

Sir Hugh came up and began talking to Freda; he was so kind and so
natural even in his loudness, that Freda felt as if she would rather
trust him with every secret of her heart, than the polished worldling
who had just left her.

'And yet, perhaps,' she thought, 'Gladys has really deceived me, and he
is innocent; still, better Gladys than that statue-like Miss Nugent.'

Freda thought the night would never end; she exerted herself to talk and
dance, because every one came to ask what was the matter with her, and
by the time they went to supper, she was as flushed as she had
previously been pale. Lord Nugent was particularly attentive to her, and
evidently admired her very much; bitterly she thought that she could
gain, unsought, the civilities of one man, whilst she was but too
conscious that the one she cared the most for in the world, was devoting
himself almost exclusively to the Nugents. But he was unworthy of the
heart of any right-minded woman, so she would tear him from hers, and
again make her father her first care.

But those despicable Nugents had got possession of him also. He was
seated next to Lady Mary at supper, her profile and diamonds were
directed at him, and she looked almost as young, and quite as handsome
as her daughter. Alas!