ity can supply the details. By this time mother knows all
and will join me in my advice to you. When you return to this
country come as a widower and enjoy the money which comes to
you through your marriage with me. By all that is sacred in
earth and in heaven, I swear that I shall ever remain dead to
you and will in no way directly or indirectly cross your path.
Nor shall any one save my mother know that I am alive and she
shall never see or hear from me again.

"EUNICE."

It was not long before Mr. Volrees was handed a telegram which read as
follows:

"For God's sake do as the girl directs. So much is involved!

"ARABELLE SEABRIGHT."

[Illustration: "What do they take me to be, a knight errant of hell and
a simpleton withal? I swear by every shining star that I
shall probe to the bottom of this matter if it shakes the
foundations of the earth,' said he."
(86-87.)]

The Hon. H. G. Volrees' wrath knew no bounds. "What do they take me to
be, a knight errant of hell and a simpleton withal? I swear by every
shining star that I shall probe to the bottom of this matter if it
shakes the foundations of the earth," said he. He took the first train
back to Almaville, his spirit crushed within him, though he bore his
sorrow with an outward calm. He utterly refused to discuss the affair,
as did also Mrs. Seabright. Almaville society had not received so
profound a shock since the unexplained course of Sam Houston in
returning his young bride to her parents and disappearing among the
Indians.

CHAPTER XIII.

_Shrewd Mrs. Crawford._

Between Tiara and Ensal there existed a barrier which had seemingly
prevented a development of the ties that all who knew the two expected
with full assurance.

The attitude of a Negro on the social question as between the races was
no child's play with Tiara. It struck at the very root of the deepest
convictions of her soul, and she was firmly resolved to allow no Negro
into the inner circle of her friendship of whose views on that question
she was ignorant. She had, as she felt, practiced "suspension of
judgment" with regard to Ensal, and assured herself that he was making
no progress in her esteem. She also impressed Ensal that he was a
decidedly stationary quantity, no further advanced in her esteem than on
the occasion of their first