al of Mr. and Mrs.
Mencke at the same hotel.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawley alone were in the secret of their coming, but they
did not betray the fact in their greeting, and Violet, though she met
her sister affectionately, was at heart very much annoyed by her
arrival.

Mrs. Mencke and Mrs. Hawley improved the first opportunity to have a
long, confidential talk upon all that had occurred during the period of
their separation, and the former was fairly jubilant over her friend's
account of the Earl of Sutherland's attentions to Violet.

"An English earl!" she exclaimed, with a glowing face. "That is
positively bewildering! And you think that Violet likes him?"

"She cannot help liking him," responded Mrs. Hawley; "for he has a way
that is perfectly irresistible. As I wrote to you, he is a good deal
older than she is, and he possesses a quiet dignity, and a certain
masterful manner that carries everything before it."

"If he will only prove himself masterful enough to conquer Violet's will
and make her marry him, I shall be too proud and thankful to contain
myself," said Mrs. Mencke, earnestly.

"It is very evident that he intends to do so if he can," returned her
friend, "and we must leave no opportunity unimproved to help him in his
wooing. We must keep Violet so busy with engagements that she will have
no time to think about her carpenter lover."

Two more weeks passed, and still Violet did not hear from Wallace, and
the secret suspense and anxiety were beginning to tell visibly upon her.

She lost color and spirit, and but for the fear of exciting suspicion,
she would have refused to mingle in the gay scenes which were becoming
wearisome to her.

There was still a ceaseless round of pleasure, receptions, parties,
opera, and theatre, and everywhere the party was attended by two young
gentlemen who had become so deeply enamored of the beautiful American
girls.

Violet tried her best to resist the force of the stream that seemed to
be hurrying her on whither she would not go, but without avail; for Vane
Cameron was always at her side, and everybody appeared to take it for
granted that he had a right to be there, while it became evident to
Violet that he was only waiting for a favorable opportunity to declare
himself her lover.

What she dreaded came at last.

They all attended the opera one evening, and a brilliant appearance they
made as they sat in one of the proscenium boxes. But Violet did not
enjoy the perfor