rs, and she knows who stands in the
doorway.

"Oh, are you ill?" Miss Murray kneels by the couch and tosses her hat
aside. "How pale and wretched you look! Does your head ache?"

"Yes," Violet admits.

"And you were so well this morning! Where is everybody? What has become
of Eugene?"

"They have all been talking business," says Violet, "and have gone----"

"I suppose Mr. Grandon told you long ago, like a good husband, but you
have been very discreet. Papa and Mr. Haviland are to take the
business, and I suppose I shall come to live at Grandon Park. I just
adore it! I never had so nice a time anywhere. Did Eugene go with
them?" abruptly flying round to the subject of most importance to her.

"I think not," Violet says, slowly.

"Let me bathe your forehead"; and the soft fingers touch her gently.
"Now, if I shut out the sun you may fall asleep. Don't get really ill!"

"I shall soon be better," Violet returns, faintly.

Miss Murray glides down-stairs, searches the porch, the summer-house,
and the shady clump of trees. There is no Eugene visible. None of the
gentlemen are home to lunch, but there are some calls to break the
afternoon silence. Mrs. Grandon drives out. Violet has dressed herself
and comes down, wan and white, making a pretext with some embroidery.
Cecil is to take tea with Elsie Latimer, a regular weekly invitation.

Pauline Murray fidgets. Her father has imparted some other knowledge,
confidentially, that he shall not object to the young man for a
son-in-law if his daughter so wills. She has stoutly declared that she
does not mean to marry anybody, and her father has laughed, but a whole
day without Eugene seems interminable. She has asked about him at least
a dozen times. An awful fear fills Violet's soul. Is it right that
Eugene should marry her with no real love in his heart for her? and if
he does not--how will she take it? He _has_ been tender and lover-like,
but how much of it was meant? Oh, why is the world all in a tangle? Her
heart beats and her pulses throb, her lips are dry and feverish, and
she has a presentiment of some ill or trouble to come. How will she
meet Mr. Grandon? When she thinks of him she feels like a traitor.

The three return together, but Floyd goes to the stable to see about
one of the carriage-horses slightly lamed, and when he comes Mr.
Haviland sits talking to Violet. Mr. Haviland is older than Mr. Murray,
a tall, rather spare man, with gray hair and close-cropped