im when he comes, the conquering
hero, who can win our queenly Kate's heart."

"Rose, hush!" cried Kate, yet not displeased, and with that roseate
light in her face still.

Rose came over, and put her arm around her waist coaxingly.

"Tell me about him, Kate. Is he handsome?"

"Who? Reginald? Of course he is handsome."

"I want to see him dreadfully! Have you his picture? Won't you show it
me?"

There was a slender gold chain round Kate's neck, which she wore night
and day. A locket was attached, and her hand pressed it now, but she did
not take it out.

"Some other time, my pet," she said, kissing Rose. "Come, let us go for
a ride."

Rose was an accomplished horsewoman, and never looked so well as in a
side-saddle. She owned a spirited black mare, which she called Regina,
and she had ridden out every day with Doctor Frank while that gentleman
was in St. Croix. Kate rode well, too. A fleet-footed little pony, named
Arab, had been trained for her use, and the sisters galloped over the
country together daily.

Eeny and Grace, both mortally afraid of horse-flesh, never rode.

Between music, books, and riding, the three days' interval passed
pleasantly enough.

Rose was an inveterate novel reader, and the hours Kate spent shut up
with that unfathomable mystery, Mr. Richards, her younger sister passed
absorbed in the last new novel.

They had visitors too--the Ponsonbys, the Landrys, the Le Favres, and
everybody of note in the neighbourhood called. Father Francis, M. le
Cure, the Reverend Augustus Clare, the Episcopal incumbent of St. Croix,
an aristocratic young Englishman, came to see them in the evening to
hear Miss Danton sing, and to play backgammon.

The Reverend Augustus, who was slim, and fair, and had face and hands
like a pretty girl, was very much impressed with the majestic daughter
of Captain Danton, who sang so magnificently, and looked at him with
eyes like blue stars.

The day that brought her father home had been long and dull. There had
been no callers, and they had not gone out. A cold north wind had
shrieked around the house all day, rattling the windows, and tearing
frantically through the gaunt arms of the stripped trees. The sky was
like lead, the river black and turbid. As the afternoon wore on, great
flakes of snow came fluttering through the opaque air, slowly at first,
then faster, till all was blind, fluttering whiteness, and the black
earth was hidden.

Kate stood by the dini