o, never," she said quickly.

"Of course not; and I am so happy, Myra. You, so young and beautiful,
to awaken first to love at my words. But are you not cruel and cold to
me still? Our marriage so soon, and you treat me only kindly, as if I
were a friend, instead of as the man so soon to be your husband."

Myra withdrew her hand, for the door opened, and Edith entered the room,
looking troubled and disturbed.

"Good-bye, then, once more, dearest," said Barron, taking Myra's hand,
"till dinner time. Ah, Edie!" he said as he crossed to the door, which
she was in the act of closing. Then, in a whisper: "Am I to
congratulate you? My present will be a suite of pearls."

Edie started, and Barron smiled, nodded, and passed out. As he
descended the stairs his ears twitched, and his whole attention seemed
to be fixed upon the library door, but he could hear no sound, and,
taking his hat and gloves from the table, he passed out of the great
hall, erect, handsome, and with a self-satisfied smile, before the
butler could reach it in answer to the drawing room bell.

"Wedding a statue," he said to himself. "But the statue is thickly
gilt, and the marble underneath may be made to glow without a West
Indian sun. So it was little Edie, then. He hasn't bad taste. The
dark horse was not dangerous after all, and was not run for coin."

He was so intent upon his thoughts that he did not notice a hansom cab
drawn up about a hundred yards from the house, in which a man was
seated, watching him intently, and leaning forward more and more till he
was about to pass, when there was a sharp _pst-pst_, which made him turn
and scowl at the utterer of the signal.

"Hi! What a while you've been."

"What the devil brings you here?" said Barron.

"To find you, of course," said the man sourly. "Thought you'd be
there."

Barron looked quickly toward Sir Mark's house, turned, and said sharply:

"What is it?"

"Jump in, and I'll tell you," whispered the man. "Getting hot."

Barron jumped into the cab, which was rapidly driven off after
instructions had been given through the trap to the driver, and the next
minute it was out of sight.

Meanwhile, Edie had stood listening till she heard the hall door closed,
and then turned to where her cousin was gazing thoughtfully at the
window, not having moved since Barron left the room.

"Listening to his beloved footsteps, Myra?" said Edie sarcastically.

Myra turned upon her with her