bent his white head, and whispered:

"Such, for instance, as Mrs. Carew, who converts all places into
Ogygia?"

Without lifting her eyes, she merely shook her head, and he
continued:

"Miss Orme, all men have their roseleaf romance. Mine expanded very
early, but fate crumpled, crushed it into a shapeless ruin, and
leaving the wreck behind me, I went to the wilds of California. Since
then, I have missed the humanising influence of home ties, of
feminine association; but as I look down the hill, when the sun of my
life is casting long shadows, I sometimes feel that it would be a
great blessing had I a sister, cousin, niece, or even an adopted
daughter, whom I could love and lean upon in my lonely old age. Once
I seriously entertained the thought of selecting an orphan from some
Asylum, and adopting her into my heart and home."

"When you do, I sincerely hope she will prove all that you wish, and
faithfully requite your goodness."

She spoke so earnestly that he smiled, and added:

"Can you recommend one to me? I envy Palma his guardianship, and if I
could find a young girl like you, I should not hesitate to
solicit----"

"Pardon me, Mr. Chesley, but Mr. Palma is endeavouring to attract
your notice," said Mrs. Palma.

The host held in his hand an envelope.

"A telegram for you. Shall I direct the bearer to wait?"

"With your permission, I will examine it."

Having glanced at the lines, he turned the sheet of paper over, and
with a pencil wrote a few words; then handed it to Terry, requesting
him to direct the bearer to have the answer promptly telegraphed.

"Nothing unpleasant, I trust?" said Mr. Palma.

"Thank you, no. Only a summons which obliges me to curtail my visit,
and return to Washington by the midnight train."

Interpreting a look from her stepson, Mrs. Palma hastened the slow
course of the dinner by a whisper to the waiter behind her chair; and
as she asked some questions relative to mutual friends residing in
Washington, Regina had no opportunity of renewing the conversation.

Mr. Roscoe was assiduous in his attentions to Miss St. Clare, and
Regina looked over at Olga, who was talking very learnedly to a small
gentleman, a prominent and erudite scientist, whose knitted eyebrows
now and then indicated dissatisfaction with her careless manner of
handling his pet theories.

Her cheeks glowed, her eyes sparkled, and a teasing smile sat upon
her lips, as she recklessly rolled her irreverent bal