fectly well, but loss of sleep and constant
care and anxiety have told rather severely on me. Nothing more
serious, I assure you."

"Anxiety!" she repeated, at the same time motioning him to a seat
by her side. "Surely you do not anticipate any difficulty in
establishing your claim?"

"No difficulty so far as its validity is concerned. My attorneys
assure me there can be no question as to that with such irrefutable
proofs in my possession, but some unlooked-for complications have
arisen, and we have had to prepare ourselves to meet them. But I
did not call to burden you with my perplexities, Miss Carleton.
Tell me of yourself. I trust you have been well since I last saw
you."

"Yes, I am usually well," said Miss Carleton, who thought she
detected on the part of her visitor an avoidance of any details
concerning himself; "but I have been rather bored of late." Then,
in answer to his look of inquiry, she continued, "Of course, on
account of Hugh Mainwaring's death, we have been living very
quietly since our return, but, notwithstanding that fact, society
has been paying due homage to the prospective increase of fortune
and added social position of the Mainwarings. I am not particularly
fond of society in the ordinary sense of the word, you know, and I
have found it exceedingly tiresome."

"From reports, I should judge 'society' to be very fond of yourself,"
he remarked, with a smile.

"After its own fashion," she replied, smiling in return; "but it
becomes very monotonous. It is the same old round, you know, only
that just now it bows a little lower than formerly, while it mingles
condolences and congratulations in the most absurd manner. One
hears, 'Such a dreadful affair! so shocking, don't you know!' and
'Such delightful fortune! I quite envy you, my dear!' all in the
same breath. I am only awaiting what society will say when the real
facts become known."

Harold Mainwaring made no reply, but a strange pallor overspread
his already pale face, at which Miss Carleton wondered.

"I have thought very often of you during these past weeks," she
continued, "and felt quite impatient to learn how you were
progressing, and your note was so brief, you know. It left so much
unsaid. I fear you forget how interested I am in all that concerns
yourself."

"No," he replied, slowly, "I do not forget; and I appreciate your
interest in me even though I may not seem to,--even though I am
forced, as you say, to le