ortex of London life. No one well knew what had become of
her; and that with Keeton folks was another way of saying that she must
have rushed upon destruction. Some persons held that she must have gone
upon the stage. This idea became almost a certainty when a Keeton man,
being in London on business, brought back with him from town a
play-bill announcing a new opera bouffe in which one of the minor
performers was named "Miss Mattie Grey." If the good Keeton man had
only looked in a few other play-bills, he would have no doubt found
Greys in abundance--Matties, Minnies, Nellies, and such like, Grey
being rather a favorite name with young ladies in the profession. But
he made no such investigation, and it was at once assumed that Mattie
Grey was Minola Grey in disguise--a disguise as subtle as that of the
famous knight, Sir Tristam, who, when he wanted to conceal his identity
from all observers and place himself beyond all possibility of
detection, called himself Sir Tramtrist.

When, however, it was found that Minola was to have her father's
property after all, a certain change took place in the opinion of most
persons who concerned themselves about the matter. It was assumed
generally that Mr. Grey was far too good and Christian a man to have
left his property to a girl who could be capable of acting in an opera
bouffe. Then, when Miss Grey in person came to the town in the company
of so distinguished a man as Mr. Money, even gossip started repentant
at the sound itself had made, and began to deny that it had ever made
any sound at all. Mr. Money was a sort of hero among the middle class
everywhere. He was known to have fought his way up in life, and to be
now very rich; and when Miss Grey came into the town in the company of
Mr. Money and his daughter, the report went about forthwith that Minola
Grey had got into the very best society in London, and that she was
going to marry the eldest son of Mr. Money, and to be presented at
court.

Mr. Money had taken a couple of floors of the best hotel to begin with.
He had brought his carriage with him--a carriage in which he was hardly
ever known to take a seat when in town. He had brought a sort of
retinue of servants. He went deliberately about making what Mr. St.
Paul would have called "a splurge." Mr. Money knew his Pappenheimers.
He knew that he was well known to have sprung from nothing, but he also
knew that the middle and lower classes of Keeton would have given him
l