.

"Mother has times of being very nervous," Lucy said, in a whisper. "I
sometimes think, when she follows me about so, that she is not for
the time being quite herself."

Rose started and looked at the other girl in horror. "Why don't you
have a doctor?" said she.

"Oh, I don't mean that she--I don't mean that there is anything
serious, only she has always been over-anxious about me, and at times
I fancy she is nervous, and then the anxiety grows beyond limit. She
always gets over it. I don't mean that--"

"Oh, I didn't know," said Rose.

"I never mean to be impatient," Lucy went on, "but to-day I was very
tired, and I wanted to see you especially. I wanted to ask you
something."

"What?"

Lucy looked away from Rose. She seemed to shrink within herself. The
color faded from her face. "I heard something," she said, faintly,
"but I said I wouldn't believe it until I had asked you."

"What is it?"

"I heard that you were engaged to marry Mr. Allen."

Rose flushed and moved away a little from Lucy. "You can contradict
the rumor whenever you hear it again," said she.

"Then it isn't true?"

"No, it isn't."

Lucy nestled against Rose, in spite of a sudden coldness which had
come over the other girl. "You are so dear," said she.

Rose looked straight ahead, and sat stiffly.

"I am thoroughly angry at such rumors, merely because a girl happens
to be living in the same house with a marriageable man," said she.

"Yes, that is so," said Lucy. She remained quiet for a few moments,
leaning against Rose, her blue-clad shoulder pressing lovingly the
black-clad one. Then she moved away a little, and reared her pretty
back with a curious, snakelike motion. Rose watched her. Lucy's eyes
fastened themselves upon her, and something strange happened. Either
Lucy Ayres was a born actress, or she had become actually so imbued,
through abnormal emotion and love, with the very spirit of the man
that she was capable of projecting his own emotions and feelings into
her own soul and thence upon her face. At all events, she looked at
Rose, and slowly Rose became bewildered. It seemed to her that Horace
Allen was looking at her through the eyes of this girl, with a look
which she had often seen since their very first meeting. She felt
herself glowing from head to foot. She was conscious of a deep
crimson stealing all over her face and neck. Her eyes fell before the
other girl's. Then suddenly it was all over. Lucy rose with a