hat is ... well, it concerns him; but I think that, if
anything, he is to be congratulated. It is something to find out....
Here, read it yourself."

She took the paper from the owner, and handed it to Rose.

It was the page devoted to happenings in society, and from the top
centre looked forth a two-column cut of Marion Treville's strikingly
beautiful face. Beneath was a stick of text, which read:

"Back Bay society is buzzing with the rumor, which comes from an
apparently unimpeachable source, that the beautiful Miss Treville
of Beacon Street, who, since her debut seven years ago, has been
one of the leaders of Boston's smartest set, is about to announce
her engagement to Stanley Everts Vandermeer, the well-known New
York millionaire sportsman. Miss Treville was formerly betrothed to
Dr. Donald MacDonald, the famous children's specialist of this
city, who has been in France for more than two years. No previous
intimation had been given that this engagement had been broken."

Rose read the brief article twice, mechanically, and almost without
understanding. Then a wave of hot anger, akin to that which had
possessed her on the mountain on the afternoon when her eyes had first
been opened to the duplicity of human nature, swept over her. It was
only by a strong effort that she refrained from crushing the sheet, and
speaking aloud her denunciation of the woman whose behavior so outraged
her sense of justice.

[Illustration: "READ THE BRIEF ARTICLE TWICE, MECHANICALLY, AND ALMOST
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING"]

The call came for the morning prayer, and she handed the paper back
without a word; but for once the simple exercises, which, on this
morning, should have meant so much more than usual, wholly failed to
bring their customary peace. Her lips formed the words of the prayer,
and joined in the singing of the hymn, but her mind was far away in
France, and her heart rebellious within her.

Her thoughts did not harbor a doubt of Donald's love for the woman, who,
it was said on "apparently unimpeachable" authority, had now discarded
him for another and wealthier suitor. To be sure, he had not married
her, as he might have, before he went away; but this was not strange,
under the conditions; indeed, she thought it to his credit, since he had
left to be away so long in the performance of a hard and hazardous duty.
And surely Donald had remained true! Anything else was unthinkable,