must now be but a temporary respite.

At the door Gertrude halted and turned to the still figure at the book
case.

"Madame Caron, you--you were talking to him," she said, appealingly,
"you did not suspect, either?"

"I did not suspect," answered Judithe, quietly, and then they went
out, leaving her alone, staring after them and then at the chair,
where but a few minutes ago he had been seated, full of a life as
vindictive as her own, if not so strong; and now--had she murdered
him? She glanced at the mirror back of the writing desk, and saw that
she was white and strange looking; she rubbed her hands together
because they were so suddenly cold. She heard some one halt at the
door, and she turned again to the book-case lest whoever entered
should be shocked at her face.

It was Evilena who peered in wistfully in search of some one not
oppressed by woe.

"Kenneth's last day home," she lamented, "and such a celebration of
it; isn't it perfectly awful? Just as if Captain Monroe and the storm
had not brought us distress enough! Of course," she added, contritely,
"it's unfeeling of me to take that view of it, and I don't expect you
to sympathize with me." There was a pause in which she felt herself
condemned. "And the house all lit up as for a party; oh, dear; it will
all be solemn as a grave now in spite of the lights, and our pretty
dresses; well, I think I'll take a book into the sitting room. I could
not possibly read in here," and she cast a shrinking glance towards
the big chair. "Is that not Romeo and Juliet under your hand? That
will do, please."

Judithe took down the volume, turned the leaves rapidly, and smiled.

"You will find the balcony scene on the tenth page," she remarked.

And then they both laughed, and Evilena beat a retreat lest some of
the others should enter and catch her laughing when the rest of the
household were doleful, and she simply could not be doleful over
Matthew Loring; she was only sorry Kenneth's day was spoiled.

The little episode, slight as it was, broke in on the unpleasant
fancies of Judithe, and substituted a new element. She closed the
glass doors and turned towards the window, quite herself again.

She stepped between the curtains and looked out on the driving storm,
trying to peer through the grey sheets of falling rain. The guard,
then, according to Miss Loring, had not yet arrived, after all, and
the others, the Federals, had a chance of being first on the field;
oh