ery pleasant to have you here. You haven't told
me yet that you forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you. It's of no consequence. Will you let me go,
Mr. Stanford?"

"Don't be in such a hurry. I told you I had fifty things to--"

He stopped short. The drawing-room door had opened, and Captain Danton's
voice could be heard talking to his two companions at billiards.

"All deserted," said the Captain; "I thought we should find the girls
here. Come in. I dare-say somebody will be along presently."

"Oh, let me go!" cried Rose, in dire alarm. "Papa may come in here. Oh,
pray--pray let me go!"

"If I do, will you promise to be good friends with me in the future?"

"Yes, yes! Let me go!"

"And you forget and forgive the past?"

"Yes--yes--yes! Anything, anything."

Stanford, who had no more desire than Rose herself to be caught just
then by papa-in-law, released his captive, and Rose flew out into the
hall and upstairs faster than she had ever done before.

How the four gentlemen got on alone in the drawing-room she never knew.
She kept her room all day, and took uncommon pains with her
dinner-toilet. She wore the blue glace, in which she looked so charming,
and twisted some jeweled stars in her bright auburn hair. She looked at
herself in the glass, her eyes dancing, her cheeks flushed, her rosy
lips apart.

"I am pretty," thought Rose. "I like my own looks better than I do
Kate's, and every one calls her beautiful. I suppose her eyes are
larger, and her nose more perfect, and her forehead higher; but it is
too pale and cold. Oh, if Reginald would only love me better than Kate!"

She ran down-stairs as the last bell rang, eager and expectant, but only
to be disappointed. Grace was there; Eeny and Kate were there, and Sir
Ronald Keith; but where were the rest?

"Where's papa?" said Rose, taking her seat.

"Dining out," replied Kate, who looked pale and ill. "And Reginald and
Doctor Danton are with him. It is at Mr. Howard's. They drove off over
an hour ago."

Rose's eyes fell and her colour faded. Until the meal was over, she
hardly opened her lips; and when it was concluded, she went back
immediately to her room. Where was the use of waiting when he would not
be there?

CHAPTER X.

THE REVELATION.

Next morning, at breakfast, Captain Danton was back; but Reginald's
handsome face, and easy flow of conversation, were missing. George
Howard, it appeared, was going on a skating excursion some miles