and silence," thought Mona. Then she
asked: "Is it not very strange that we do not see the banks of the river?
One would almost imagine that we were far out at sea."

Again that peculiar look swept over the young man's face.

"And so we are," he quietly answered, after a momentary pause.

"What?" exclaimed Mona, in a startled tone, and turning her blanched face
upon him with a look of terror.

"Do not be excited, Miss Montague," he coolly observed. "Aunt Margie
simply took a sudden freak to go home by sea; she thought the voyage
would be beneficial to her. She did not confide her plans to you, as
she feared you would object and insist upon going home alone by rail."

Mona flushed hotly. She was very indignant that Mrs. Montague should have
done such a thing without consulting her, and she deeply regretted that
she had not insisted upon acting according to her own wishes.

She had no suspicion even now of the wretched deception that had been
practiced upon her, but she did not now wonder so much that the woman had
so persistently kept out of her way, and she felt so angry that she did
not care to meet her again until they should land.

"When shall we get to New York?" she inquired, in a low, cold tone.

"We shall land some time this evening," Louis Hamblin evasively replied,
but watching her with curious interest.

Mona gave utterance to a sigh of relief, but did not appear to notice how
he had worded his sentence.

She believed that in a few hours more she would forever sever all
connections with this bold, bad woman who had been guilty of so much
wrong; that she would forever be freed from the society and attentions
of her no less unprincipled and disagreeable nephew.

She resolved to go at once to Mr. Graves, then send word to Ray of her
return, when she would reveal all that she had learned about herself, and
all her troubles would be over. There was now no reason why she should
not become his wife as soon as he desired.

She lay back in her chair and closed her eyes, thus signifying to Mr.
Hamblin that she did not wish to continue their conversation.

He moved away from her, but continued to watch her covertly, smiling now
and then to himself as he thought of the developments reserved for her.

When the sun began to decline Mona arose to return to her stateroom, but
she was still so weak she could not walk steadily.

The young man sprang at once to her side.

"Let me help you," he cried, offering hi