does and was rewarded with a lordship and an uncommonly
large fortune. He also saw that, after Frank left, the distance between
Lord Haldwell and Julia became distinctly less--they were both staying
at Greyhope. Julia Sherwood was a remarkably clever girl. Though he felt
it his duty to speak to her for his brother,--a difficult and delicate
matter, he thought it would come better from his mother.

But when he took action it was too late. Miss Sherwood naively declared
that she had not known her own heart, and that she did not care for
Frank any more. She wept a little, and was soothed by motherly Mrs.
Armour, who was inwardly glad, though she knew the matter would cause
Frank pain; and even General Armour could not help showing slight
satisfaction, though he was innocent of any deliberate action to
separate the two. Straightway Miss Sherwood despatched a letter to the
wilds of Canada, and for a week was an unengaged young person. But she
was no doubt consoled by the fact that for some time past she had had
complete control of Lord Haldwell's emotions. At the end of the week
her perceptions were justified by Lord Haldwell's proposal, which, with
admirable tact and obvious demureness, was accepted.

Now, Frank Armour was wandering much in the wilds, so that his letters
and papers went careering about after him, and some that came first were
last to reach him. That was how he received a newspaper announcing the
marriage of Lord Haldwell and Julia Sherwood at the same time that her
letter, written in estimable English and with admirable feeling, came,
begging for a release from their engagement, and, towards its close,
assuming, with a charming regret, that all was over, and that the last
word had been said between them.

Armour was sitting in the trader's room at Fort Charles when the carrier
came with the mails. He had had some successful days hunting buffalo
with Eye-of-the-Moon and a little band of metis, had had a long pow-wow
in Eye-of-the-Moon's lodge, had chatted gaily with Lali the daughter,
and was now prepared to enjoy heartily the arrears of correspondence
and news before him. He ran his hand through the letters and papers,
intending to classify them immediately, according to such handwriting as
he recognised and the dates on the envelopes. But, as he did so, he saw
a newspaper from which the wrapper was partly torn. He also saw a note
in the margin directing him to a certain page. The note was in Richard's
ha