eeded, if the world had not spoken my name
to you, you would have forgotten me in a year. I believe it is not
Katrine Dulany, the daughter of your Irish overseer, whom you love, but
La Dulany, who happens to have a gift, the adopted daughter of the
Countess de Nemours, the woman whom you have heard the Duc de Launay
wishes to marry!"

"Oh, Katrine!"

"I don't want to hurt you! indeed, _indeed_ I don't," she repeated. "I
wanted you to know exactly what I think. Ah," she cried, "be fair! Do
you blame me?"

"No," he answered. "I blame you for nothing; but it is not true! I love
the soul of you, Katrine. And there has been between us love, love
stronger than ourselves or our foolish prejudices. I believe that
neither of us can forget, that something stronger than your will or mine
draws us together. I will not accept your refusal. And you will not
forget me! I mean to see to it that you shall not."

They returned to the house, through the incoming sea fog, in silence. At
the foot of the side-stair they shook hands and said "good-bye" softly.

He had not expected to see her again in the evening. But here he failed
to understand that the excitement under which she was laboring made
either solitude or inaction unendurable. She was among the first to come
down to dinner, and never, he reviewed the entire past before he came to
the conclusion, had he seen her more beautiful. She wore pink, modish in
the extreme, with many jewels--he recalled that he had never before seen
her wear jewels--and she seemed in sky-scraping spirits, her eyes alight
with fire and vivacity; and at the table he could hear the droll tones
of her voice before the laughter came; and altogether she went far
toward driving him daft by an apparent gayety at parting with him
forever.

Immediately after the ladies left the table Dermott touched Frank
lightly on the arm. "Could I have a few words with you in the gun-room?"
he asked. "It's the place where we shall be the least likely to be
interrupted."

Ravenel followed him, after a nod of acquiescence, and stood on one side
of a great chimney, which was filled with glowing logs, waiting for the
Irishman to speak. He was entirely unprepared, however, for the
consideration, even the impersonal kindness in Dermott's voice as he
said, "I'm afraid I'm letting you in for a pretty bad time, Ravenel."

Frank bowed. Even McDermott was forced to admire his serene manner.

"Miss Dulany told me last night of her