ard came hurrying from the dining-room, where
she had been giving some last orders to the servants, and bidding
Edith follow her, passed out of the house and entered the carriage.

Edith was scarcely seated beside her when Emil Correlli made his
appearance and settled himself opposite her.

The young girl flushed, but, schooling herself to carry out the part
which she had determined to assume for the present, made no other sign
to betray how distasteful his presence was to her.

She could not, however, bring herself to join in any conversation,
except, once or twice, to respond to a direct question from madam,
although the young man tried several times to draw her out, until,
finally discouraged, he relapsed into a sullen and moody silence,
greatly to the disgust of his sister, who seemed nervously inclined to
talk.

Upon their arrival in town, Mrs. Goddard remarked to Edith:

"I have been obliged to take, for a servant, the room you used to
occupy, dear; consequently, you will have to go into the south chamber
for the present. Thomas," turning to a man and pointing to Edith's
trunk, "take this trunk directly up to the south chamber."

Edith's heart gave a startled bound at this unexpected change.

The "south chamber" was the handsomest sleeping apartment in the
house--the guest chamber, in fact--and she understood at once why it
had thus been assigned to her.

It was intended that she should pose and be treated in every respect
as became the wife of madam's brother, and thus the best room in the
house had been set apart for her use.

She knew that it would be both useless and unwise to make any
objections; the change had been determined upon, and doubtless her old
room was already occupied by a servant, to prevent the possibility of
her returning to it.

Thus, after the first glance of surprise at madam, she turned and
quietly followed the man who was taking up her trunk.

But, on entering the "south chamber," another surprise awaited her,
for the apartment had been fitted up with even greater luxury than
previous to their leaving for the country.

The man unstrapped her trunk and departed, when Edith looked around
her with a flushed and excited face.

A beautiful little rocker, of carved ivory, inlaid with gold, was
standing in the bay-window overlooking the avenue, and beside it there
was an exquisite work-stand to match.

An elegant writing-desk, of unique design, and furnished with
everything a la