ephen," she answered him, and laying her hand in his,
looked into his face a moment, dropped her eyes and stood before him
gravely, her color rising a little. A few trivial questions, a few
remarks, a few answers simply given, and he bowed and moved away as her
mother brought Edmonson up to her. He did not see her often now-a-days;
there was suffering to them both in meeting, and although he was still
her lover in name as well as in heart, it was always with a dread lest
the wall should be built up between them, and love be stifled in duty.
He was ashamed of himself for his jealous fears when he saw other men
paying her attentions; he never used to have these, but then he was
strong to woo her; he could defy his rivals in fair field, and, as it
had proved, could win the day. But now he was maimed in purpose, perhaps
his hope was lost, his conscience was not clear in the matter as before,
and he felt that in some way he had lost influence. The strong will that
had won Katie was not at present matched by the srong hand that had made
her admiring. The sense of being obliged to wait upon other's movements
galled him; he was impatient, restless, a man who could not find in
himself the comfort he sought, but who watched for news from a source
that he felt was as ready to bring him death as life.

Elizabeth heard his greeting of Katie, though she was speaking to some
one else when he came forward. She could not tell how it was that in
some way she felt through it to its meaning.

"Sir Temple," she said a moment afterward, "allow me to introduce Major
Vaughan; he has been a friend of Colonel Pepperell's a long time, and
though I cannot claim such an acquaintance, I do claim a share in the
regard in which all his friends hold him."

"And he holds it one of the white days of his life on which he first met
this fair lady," gallantly responded Vaughan sweeping around the bow
which acknowledged the introduction so that it included the presenter.
Elizabeth smiled her thanks. She knew that the speech was not meant in
sarcasm, although that any one should call it a white day on which he
first met her seemed so; it had been a very black day to Stephen
Archdale, she remembered.

"Major Vaughan can tell you more about the political state of the
country, and its prospects, than any one else," she went on, "except,
perhaps, Colonel Pepperell. How is it, Major, does he keep peace with
you?"

"No, Mistress Royal, he distances me as far a