lt as if she could no longer endure the trying conversation.

"Oh, how she has tortured me!" she sobbed, as she swung the door to after
her, and dashed from her eyes the tears which she could no longer
restrain. "I could not bear it another moment, and I must not give way,
even now, or she will see that I am unnerved, but I cannot be wholly
wretched now that I know that _Ray loves me_!"

A vivid blush mounted to her brow as she whispered the sweet words, and
she dashed the cold water over her burning cheeks to cool them.

"Ah!" she continued; "I judged him wrongfully, and I am sorry. It will be
all right if we can but meet again. It must be true that he loved me; he
must have confessed it, or his father would not have told Mrs. Montague
so."

She hastily dried her face, and hands, then composing herself, returned
to Mrs. Montague's room to find her with her dress on and looking very
fair and lovely in the delicately tinted blue cashmere, with the soft
ruching in the neck and sleeves and the shining satin bows at her waist.

The woman glanced sharply at Mona as she entered, but, for all that she
could see, the sweet face was as serene as if she were intent only upon
her duties as waiting-maid, instead of thrilling with joy over the
knowledge of being beloved by one whom, until that hour, she had believed
lost to her.

"I will submit her to one more test, and if she can stand it I shall be
satisfied," she said to herself, as she fastened a beautiful pin at her
throat, and then turned smilingly to Mona, but with the most innocent
air in the world.

"Am I all right, Ruth? Is the dress becoming?" she asked.

"Exceedingly," Mona returned; "the color is just suited to you."

"Thank you, I wonder if Mr. Palmer will also think so. Do you know," with
a conscious laugh and forced blush, but with a covert glance at the girl,
"I am becoming very much interested in that gentleman. I like the son,
too, but chiefly for his father's sake. By the way, young Mr. Palmer is
to be here for the ball on Monday evening; at least his father is going
to telegraph him to come."

"Is he?" said Mona, absently, while she appeared to be engrossed with
something which she had suddenly discovered about the new morning robe.
But the statement that Ray was coming to Hazeldean had given her an
inward start that made every nerve in her body bound as if an electric
current had been applied to them. "This skirt does not seem to hang just
right," sh