ollowed by all her
party.

They went into the brilliantly lighted public parlor.

As she was crossing the room, leaning on her husband's arm and followed by
her children and their governess, she suddenly started and turned pale.

Mr. Force, who felt her start, but did not see the sudden blanching of her
cheek, looked up and saw a stranger approaching them from the opposite
side of the parlor.

He was a short, stout, fair-haired, rosy-faced, blue-eyed man of middle
age and pleasant aspect, in a fashionable evening dress.

He came up with a frank smile, holding out his hand, and exclaiming:

"Lady Elfrida Glennon! This is really a delightful surprise!"

The haughty beauty shuddered, but almost immediately commanded herself and
received her accoster's effusive address with cold politeness, and then
said:

"Let me present you to my husband and daughters. Mr. Force--Col. Anglesea,
of the Honorable East India Company's Service. Col. Anglesea--my husband,
Mr. Abel Force, of Mondreer, Maryland. Our daughters, Miss Force, Miss
Wynnette, Miss Elva, Miss Meeke."

While bows were being exchanged the lady quite recovered her
self-possession. The party took seats near together, the colonel dropping
into a lounging-chair immediately opposite the sofa on which Mrs. Force
sat with her daughters--and saying something poetic and complimentary
about a perfect rose surrounded by fresh buds, as he gazed upon the
beautiful mother and children.

Mr. Force, who occupied another armchair near them, seemed the best
pleased of all the group.

"I am really very happy to make your acquaintance, colonel. This is the
first time in our rather long married life--look at those great
girls!--that I have had the pleasure of meeting any of my wife's English
friends. I hope we shall see a great deal of you. I hope to persuade you
to visit us at Mondreer for a few weeks before you return to your native
land," he said, with all his honest, friendly soul in every look and
tone.

"Thanks, very much. I shall be but too well pleased. Yes! it is nearly
twenty years since we saw each other last, yet the moment I entered this
room I recognized Lady Elfrida," he said.

"Pardon me," coldly objected the lady. "When I married a citizen of this
republic, to live in it, I took my husband's style with his name, and am
called Mrs. Force."

"Ah! true! precisely! perfectly so! A thousand apologies! I will try to
remember."

And the colonel sank back in his