here to receive them he would at once post off
to America again, and upset all her plans by bringing about a
reconcilation at the last moment.

So in less than a week Sir William left England for, Egypt and the Holy
Land, and Lady Linton experienced a feeling of intense relief at his
departure. Time, she reasoned, was a great healer, and she hoped much from
this season of travel and change.

It was rather lonely for her at Heathdale during the winter, but she was
grateful to be released from the anxiety she had suffered on his account
for the last year.

Spring came, summer passed; a year had come and gone since the
disappearance of her brother's young wife, when one day there came an
official-looking document addressed to the baronet, and bearing the
California postmark.

Lady Linton quivered in every nerve as she saw it, for her heart told her
instantly what it contained.

Still, she could not be satisfied until she knew beyond a doubt, and she
skillfully opened it for examination before forwarding it to her brother.

It was even as she had hoped.

Virgie had kept her word; she was about to repudiate her husband for his
supposed faithlessness to her, and Lady Linton's lips curled in a smile of
exultation as she read the paper notifying her brother that proceedings
for a divorce were about to be instituted in the courts of San Francisco
by Lady Virginia Heath against Sir William Heath, of Heathsdale, England.

"Everything is working beautifully," she murmured, triumphantly; "his pride
will never let him seek her after this takes effect; it will be conclusive
evidence to him that she, at least, desires to have the tie that binds
them broken. Let me see! he is notified to appear on the ninth of next
month--in a little more than four weeks. Ha, ha! he was in Alexandria when
he last wrote, and this could not possibly reach him in season to admit of
his obeying the summons in time. Matters will have reached a crisis before
he gets it--the <i>injured and beautiful little savage</i> will have secured
her divorce, and my brother will be free, long before he will know what
has been done. However, I will do my duty, and forward it to him
instantly."

With a lighter heart than she had known for months, the crafty woman
carefully resealed the document in a way to defy suspicion that it had
been tampered with, inclosed it in another envelope, directed and marked
it "important," and dispatched it by the very next mail to h