certain moments,
a terrible dread would cross her mind that this man might know all her
history, who she was, and in what events mixed up, she rallied quickly
from these fears by recalling how safe from all discovery she had lived
for several years back. Indeed, personally, she was scarcely known
at all, her early married life having been passed in almost entire
reclusion; while, later on, her few acquaintances were the mere knot of
men in Hawke's intimacy.

There was also another reflection that supplied its consolation: the
Stocmars of this world are a race familiar with secrets; their whole
existence is passed in hearing and treasuring up stories in which honor,
fame, and all future happiness are often involved; they are a sort of
lay priesthood to the "fast" world, trusted, consulted, and confided in
on all sides. "If he should know me," thought she, "it is only to make a
friend of him, and no danger can come from that quarter." Trover's note
said, "Mr. Stocmar places his services at your feet, too proud if in any
way they can be useful to you;" a mere phrase, after all, which might
mean much or little, as it might be. At the same time she bore in mind
that such men as Stocmar were as little addicted to rash pledges as
Cabinet ministers. Too much harassed and worried by solicitation, they
usually screened themselves in polite generalities, and never incurred
the embarrassment of promising anything, so that, thus viewed, perhaps,
he might be supposed as well-intentioned towards her.

Let us for a moment--a mere moment--turn to Stocmar himself, as he
walked up and down a short garden alley of Trover's garden with Paten by
his side.

"Above all things, remember, Stocmar, believe nothing she tells you, if
she only tell it earnestly. Any little truth she utters will drop out
unconsciously, never with asseveration."

"I'm prepared for that," replied he, curtly.

"She 'll try it on, too, with fifty little feminine tricks and graces;
and although you may fancy you know the whole armory, _pardi!_ she has
weapons you never dreamed of."

"Possibly," was the only rejoinder.

"Once for all," said Paten,--and there was impatience in his tone,--"I
tell you she is a greater actress than any of your tragedy queens behind
the footlights."

"Don't you know what Talleyrand said to the Emperor, Ludlow? 'I think
your Majesty may safely rely upon me for the rogueries.'"

Paten shook his head dissentingly; he was very far from