s
Hamblin, dressed with great care and in the height of style, awaiting
their arrival.

Mrs. Montague signaled to him from the upper deck; and he, with an
answering wave of his hand, sprang aboard, and quickly made his way
to her side.

He greeted her with evident pleasure, remarking that it seemed an age
since he had seen her, and then he turned to Mona, with outstretched
hand and smiling eyes.

"How well you are looking, Miss Richards," he remarked; "your trip has
done you a great deal of good."

Mona bowed, but without appearing to notice his extended hand, and then
she turned away to gather their wraps and satchels, preparatory to going
ashore.

Mr. Hamblin frowned at her coldness, but a peculiar smile curved his lips
as he whispered in Mrs. Montague's ear:

"We'll soon bring your proud beauty to better terms."

"Don't be rash, Louis," she returned; "we must be very wary if we would
accomplish our purpose. You say you love the girl, and I have consented
to let you have your way, but, since she is not inclined to accept your
advances, you will have to play your cards very shrewdly if you expect
to win."

"All right; I will be circumspection personified, if you will only help
me to make that girl my wife," the young man said earnestly. "I do love
her with all my heart; and, Aunt Margie, I'll quit sowing wild oats, turn
over a new leaf, and be a good man if I succeed in this."

Mrs. Montague regarded him somewhat skeptically, as he made this eager
avowal, but it was almost immediately followed by a look of anxiety.

"I hope you will--you certainly owe me that much after all that I have
done for you," she returned. "Mind you," she added, "I never would have
yielded this point if I had not been driven to it."

"Driven to it! How?" inquired her nephew, regarding her searchingly.

"Driven to it, because I have found out that she is Mona Montague, and
I'm afraid that she has an eye to her father's property. I believe she is
very keen--doubtless she knows that she has a legal claim upon what he
left, and means to assert it, or she never would have so cunningly wormed
herself into my family. Of course it will be difficult for her to prove
her position, since I have that certificate of marriage; still she may
have some other proof that I know nothing about which she is secretly
working. Of course I'd rather you would marry her," Mrs. Montague
gloomily observed, "and thus make our interests mutual, than run any r