ing, he thought.

Fay sighed as she watched him. Erle had changed too, she said to
herself; he was nicer, but he had lost his old careless merriment; he
looked graver, and a little thin, and there was not always a happy
look in his eyes. Fay sometimes feared that the other girl with the
fair hair had not been forgotten; she wanted to tell him that she
hoped Evelyn knew all about her, but she lacked the courage, and
somehow it was not so easy to talk to Erle this time.

But there was one subject on which he dilated without reserve, and
that was on Mr. Ferrers's search for Crystal. He was in New York now,
he told Fay, with his sister, and he was waiting for further
intelligence before he followed Miss Davenport. "Miss Trafford
corresponds with him," he continued, with an effort; "but it seems the
travelers have little time for writing." But he wondered, as he talked
about the Ferrers, why Fay changed color so often--he had heard it was
a sign of delicacy.

"I am tiring you," he said, hastily; "you are looking quite pale; you
want a change sadly yourself, my Fairy Queen." And Hugh, entering the
room at that moment, caught at the word and came up quickly to the
couch.

"Don't you feel so well to-day, pet?" he asked, kindly; "why are you
talking about a change?"

"It was only Erle's nonsense, dear," she said, hurriedly. She never
could speak to him without a painful blush, and it always deepened if
he looked at her long, as he did now.

"I never saw you look better than you do to-day," returned her
husband; "she is quite rosy, is she not, Erle? But you are right, and
a change will do her and the boy good. I was thinking how you would
like to go down to Devonshire, Fay, while I am away?"

"Away?" she said, very quietly; "where are you going, Hugh?"--but
there was no surprise in her face.

"Oh, you can not forget," returned Hugh, impatiently, "unless that
baby puts everything out of your head. Do you not remember that I told
you that Fitzclarence was coming down this week to arrange about our
trip to Cairo."

"No," she replied, "you never said anything about it, Hugh;" which was
the truth, for he had never taken the trouble to inform her, though
Mrs. Heron had had orders to prepare a room for the expected guest.

"Well, well," rather irritably, "I meant to tell you, but one's memory
is treacherous sometimes. He will be down here about Wednesday or
Thursday, for in another week we hope to start."

"Indeed," retur