r brother of Mr. Hofer, who had also multiplied his paternal
million, devoted himself to her seriously, and Gwynne, who soon had
enough of dancing, gracefully renounced his claims to the german. They
had one waltz together and then he did not see her again until the hour
of departure, when he stood in the hall and watched her descend the
winding white stair between the roses. He thought her a charming picture
in her long white coat, with a lace scarf over her head, and her arms
full of costly toys. When she reached his side she ordered him to put
her favors into the pockets of his overcoat, and keep his hand on his
pistol, as she would not risk losing one of them, much less her jewels.
Her eyes were very bright, and her cheeks deeply flushed, but were the
cause a fully satisfied ambition, he could only guess.

XXXIV

The hour was four, and after they had said their last good-night to the
guests whose homes lay between the Hofer mansion and their own, they met
but one foot passenger as belated as themselves. This was a big man that
loomed suddenly out of the fog. Isabel screamed and ran into the middle
of the street, and Gwynne, who had obediently taken out his pistol, half
raised it. But the man laughed.

"I'm on the lookout for thim meself," he said, in a rich brogue. "Good
luck to yees."

As they let themselves into the house, Gwynne threw his hat and coat on
the settle in the vestibule, and then ran his hand through his hair and
rubbed the back of his head, a habit of his when he had a suggestion to
make.

"I remember we were going to sit up the rest of that night--or
morning--after Arcot," he said. "Are you very tired?"

"Tired? I shall not sleep a wink for hours. The fire is sure to be laid
in the tower-room."

They went into the small circular room, furnished in several shades of
green, that Isabel had retained for her own use, and while she shook
down her skirts Gwynne applied a match to the coals. The raw morning air
had penetrated the house, too old-fashioned to have a furnace, but
wooden walls are quickly heated. When Gwynne had removed the blower
several times and satisfied himself that the hard coals would burn, he
resumed the perpendicular.

He looked doubtfully at Isabel, who was still wrapped in her cloak, and
had elevated her feet, covered with the long carriage-boots, to the
fender. "Sha'n't you take off those things?" he asked. "You don't look
as if you meant to stay."

"You can tak