oor-bell rang sharply; she supposed it was some
brother-artist coming to spend an hour, and turned to go.

"Wait a minute; I want to----" He paused, for at that instant she heard a
voice which, even amid the din of Shinar, would have been unmistakable to
her, and breaking from him, she sprang to the threshold and met her
cousin.

"Oh, Russell! I thought you had forgotten me."

"What put such a ridiculous thought into your head? My last letter must
have prepared you to expect me."

"What letter? I have had none for three weeks."

"One in which I mentioned Mr. Campbell's foreign appointment, and the
position of secretary which he tendered me. Electra, let me speak to Mr.
Clifton."

As he advanced and greeted the artist, she heard a quick, snapping sound,
and saw the beautiful Bohemian glass paper-cutter her guardian had been
using lying shivered to atoms on the rug. The fluted handle was crushed in
his fingers, and drops of blood oozed over the left hand. Ere she could
allude to it, he thrust his hand into his pocket and desired Russell to be
seated.

"This is a pleasure totally unexpected. What is the appointment of which
you spoke?"

"Mr. Campbell has been appointed Minister to ----, and sails next week. I
am surprised that you have not heard of it from the public journals; many
of them have spoken of it, and warmly commended the selection. I accompany
him in the capacity of secretary and shall, meanwhile, prosecute my studies
under his direction."

The grey, glittering eyes of the artist sought those of his pupil, and for
an instant hers quailed; but, rallying, she looked fully, steadfastly at
him, resolved to play out the game, scorning to bare her heart to his
scrutiny. She had fancied that Russell's affection had prompted this visit;
now it was apparent that he came to New York to take a steamer--not to see
her; to put the stormy Atlantic between them.

"New York certainly agrees with you, Electra; you have grown and improved
very much since you came North. I never saw such colour in your cheeks
before; I can scarcely believe that you are the same fragile child I put
into the stage one year ago. This reconciles me to having given you up to
Mr. Clifton; he is a better guardian than I could have been. But tell me
something more about these new relatives you spoke of having found here."

Mr. Clifton left the room, and the two sat side by side for an hour talking
of the gloomy past, the flitting present the