pologies. The heat--the fatigue of the speech--a
crushing headache, and a doctor's order!--he begged their Royal
Highnesses to excuse him. The Royal Highnesses were at first astonished,
inclined, perhaps, to take offence. But the party was so agreeable, and
Lady Kitty so charming a hostess, that the Premier's absence was soon
forgotten, and as the day cooled to a delicious evening, and the most
costly bands from town discoursed a melting music, as garlanded boats
appeared upon the river inviting passengers, and, with the dusk,
fireworks began to ascend from a little hill; as the trees shone green
and silver and rose-color in the Bengal lights, and amid the sweeping
clouds of smoke the wide stretches of the park, the close-packed groups
of human beings, appeared and vanished like the country and creatures of
a dream--the success of Lady Kitty's fete, the fame of her gayety and
her beauty, filled the air. She flashed hither and thither, in a dress
embroidered with wild roses and a hat festooned with them--attended
always by Eddie Helston, by various curates who cherished a hopeless
attachment to her, and by a fat German grand-duke, who had come in the
wake of the Royalties.

Her cleverness, her resource, her organizing power were lauded to the
skies, Royalty was gracious, and the grand-duke resentfully asked an
aide-de-camp on the way home why he had not been informed that such a
pretty person awaited him.

"I should den haf looked beforehand--as vel as tinking behind," said the
grand-duke, as he wrapped himself sentimentally in his military cloak,
to meditate on Lady Kitty's brown eyes.

Meanwhile Lord Parham remained closeted in his sitting-room with his
secretary. Ashe tried to gain admittance, but in vain. Lord Parham
pleaded great fatigue and his letters; and asked for a <i>Bradshaw</i>.

"His lordship has inquired if there is a train to-night," said the
little secretary, evidently much flustered.

Ashe protested. And, indeed, as it turned out, there was no train worth
the taking. Then Lord Parham sent a message that he hoped to appear at
dinner.

Kitty locked her door while she was dressing, and Ashe, whose mind was a
confusion of many feelings--anger, compunction, and that fascination
which in her brilliant moods she exercised over him no less than over
others--could get no speech with her.

They met on the threshold of the child's room, she coming out, he going
in. But she wrenched herself from him and wou