asked Mrs. McVeigh; and Loring, who realized that his own
price was a remarkably high one, showed surprise at the ready
acceptance of it.

"The offer is made by a law firm in New Orleans, Hart & Logan,"
continued Clarkson. "But the real purchaser is evidently some client
of theirs."

"Well, I certainly hope the client will prove a pleasant personage if
he is to locate at Loringwood," remarked Mrs. McVeigh. "Some one in
New Orleans? Possibly we know them."

"I am led to believe that the property is desired for some educational
institution," said Clarkson, handing the letter to Loring, who could
not decipher two lines of the fine script, but refrained from
acknowledging it.

"I must say the offer pleases me greatly." He nodded his head and
uttered a sigh of satisfaction; "a school or seminary, no doubt, I
like that; so will Gertrude. Speak to her, and then write or telegraph
the acceptance, as they prefer. This is remarkably quick work; I
feared it would be a long while before a purchaser could be found.
This is most fortunate."

"Then I congratulate you, Mr. Loring," said Mrs. McVeigh, who was
grateful to the Judge for bringing news likely to make the entertainment
of the invalid an easier affair. "But your fortunate offer from New
Orleans dispels a hope I had that my friend, Madame Caron, might buy
it. She seemed quite impressed with it. I was just saying so to
Gertrude."

"Yes, we've all been hearing considerable about this charming
foreigner of yours, who is daring enough to cross to a war-ridden
country to pay visits."

"She owns a fine property in New Orleans, but left there in disgust
when the Yankees took possession. I was delighted to find her in
Mobile, and persuaded her to come along and see plantation life in our
country. We met her first in Paris--Kenneth and I. He will be
delightfully surprised to find her here."

"No doubt, no doubt," but Loring's assent was not very hearty; he
remembered those first comments on her at Loringwood. "Dr. Delaven,
also, was among her Parisian acquaintances, so you will have quite a
foreign colony at the Terrace."

"I was much pleased with that fine young fellow, Dr. Delaven,"
remarked the Judge, "and really consider you most fortunate to secure
his services--a very superior young man, and possessed, I should say,
of very remarkable talent, and of too gay a heart to be weighed down
with the importance of such special knowledge, as is too often the
case in young pr