real feelings. Later, quite lately, in fact, the thing seemed to be all
off, and my wife has commented on it not a little."

"Oh!" ejaculates Mr. Wedron. "And--had Doctor Heath any rivals?"

"Miss Wardour has always plenty of lovers; but I believe that Mr. Frank
Lamotte was the only rival he ever had any reason to fear."

"Ah! so Mr. Frank Lamotte has been Heath's rival? Handsome fellow, that
Lamotte! Mr. Vandyck," turning suddenly upon Ray, "the ice is now
broken. What do you know, or think, or believe, about this attachment to
Miss Wardour?"

"I think that Heath really hoped to win her at one time, and I believed
his chances were good. Something, I don't know what, has come between
them."

"Do you think she has refused him?"

"Honestly, I don't, sir. I think there is a misunderstanding."

"And young Lamotte, what of him?"

"I suppose he has come in ahead; in fact, have very good cause for
thinking him engaged to Miss Wardour."

"Bah!" cries O'Meara, contemptuously, "I don't believe it. There's
nothing sly about Constance. She would have told me or my wife."

"I'll tell you my reasons for saying this, gentlemen," says Ray, after a
moment's hesitation. "I'll tell you all I can about the business. Some
time ago, shortly after Heath's last encounter with Burrill, I came into
town one day to keep an appointment with him."

"Stay! Can you recall the date?"

"It was on Monday, I believe, and early in the month."

"Go on."

"I met one of the Wardour servants, who gave me a note. It was a request
that I wait upon Miss Wardour at once; she wished to consult me on some
private matters. Miss Wardour and I, you must understand, are very old
friends."

"Yes, yes; go on."

"I excused myself to Heath, and, just as I was leaving the office,
Lamotte came in. He challenged me, in badinage, as though he had a right
to say who should visit Wardour. He overheard me telling Heath where I
was going."

"Yes."

"During my call, I made some allusion to Lamotte, speaking of him as her
accepted lover. She did not deny the charge my language implied, and I
came away believing her engaged to Lamotte. When I returned to Heath's
office, Lamotte had gone, and Heath asked me, rather abruptly, if I
believed Miss Wardour would marry Lamotte. I replied, that I did believe
it then, for the first time."

"Ah, yes! Mr. Vandyck, are you aware that on this same day, this Monday
of which you speak, Clifford Heath received an anonymous