him!"

With this state of feeling, it was hardly natural that John Jr.
should be very polite toward Mabel, and when his mother asked him to
help her into the carriage, he complied so ungraciously, that Mabel
observed it, and looked wonderingly at her _patroness_ for an
explanation.

"Only one of his freaks, love--he'll get over it," said Mrs.
Livingstone, while poor Mabel, sinking back amoung the cushions, wept
silently, thinking that everybody hated her.

When 'Lena came down to bid her host and hostess good-night, the
former retained her hand, while he expressed his sorrow at her
leaving so soon. "I meant to have seen more of you," said he, "but
you must visit us often--will you not?"

Neither the action nor the words escaped Mrs. Graham's observation,
and the lecture which she that night read her offending spouse, had
the effect to keep him awake until the morning was growing gray in
the east. Then, when he was asleep, he so far forgot himself and the
wide-open ears beside him as actually to breathe the name of 'Lena in
his dreams!

Mrs. Graham needed no farther confirmation of her suspicions, and at
the breakfast-table next morning, she gave her son a lengthened
account of her husband's great sin in dreaming of a young girl, and
that girl 'Lena Rivers. Durward laughed heartily and then, either to
tease his mother, or to make his father's guilt less heinous in her
eyes, he replied, "It is a little singular that our minds should run
in the same channel, for, I, too, dreamed of 'Lena Rivers!"

Poor Mrs. Graham. A double task was now imposed upon her--that of
watching both husband and son; but she was accustomed to it, for her
life, since her second marriage, had been one continued series of
watching for evil where there was none. And now, with a growing
hatred toward 'Lena, she determined to increase her vigilance,
feeling sure she should discover something if she only continued
faithful to the end.

CHAPTER XIII.

MABEL.

The morning following the party, Mr. Livingstone's family were
assembled in the parlor, discussing the various events of the
previous night. John Jr., 'Lena, and Anna declared themselves to
have been highly pleased with everything, while Carrie in the worst
of humors, pronounced it "a perfect bore," saying she never had so
disagreeable a time in all her life, and ending her ill-natured
remarks by a malicious thrust at 'Lena, for having so long kept Mr.
Bellmont at her side.