s a
result Darrell, upon his return, found himself a literary star of the
first magnitude,--the cynosure of all eyes.

These reports reaching Marion only widened the gulf which she felt now
intervened between herself and Darrell.

Almost immediately upon his return Darrell called upon her. She was at
home, but sent a younger sister to admit him while she nerved herself
for the dreaded interview. As he awaited her coming he looked around him
with a sort of wonder. Each object seemed familiar, and yet, was it
possible this was the room that used to seem so bright and pleasant as
he and Marion conned their lessons together? Had it changed, he
wondered, or had he?

Marion's entrance put a stop to his musings. He sprang to meet her, she
advanced slowly. She had changed very little. Her face, unless animated,
was always serious, determined; it was a shade more determined, almost
stern, but it had the same strong, intellectual look which had always
distinguished it and for which he had admired it.

Darrell, on the contrary, was greatly changed. Marion, gazing at the
snow-white hair, the dark eyes with their piercing, inscrutable look,
the firmly set mouth, and noting the bearing of conscious strength and
power, was unable to recognize her quondam schoolmate until he spoke;
the voice and smile were the same as of old!

They clasped hands for an instant, then Darrell, as in the old days,
dropped easily into one corner of the little sofa, supposing she would
take her accustomed place in the other corner, but, instead, she drew a
small rocker opposite and facing him, in which she seated herself. His
manner was cordial and free as, after a few inquiries regarding herself,
he spoke of his absence, touching lightly upon his illness and its
strange consequences, and expressed his joy at finding himself at home
once more.

She was kind and sympathetic, but her manner was constrained. She could
not banish the remembrance of her call upon his mother, of the contrast
between his home and hers; and as he talked something indefinable in his
language, in his very movements and gestures, revealed to her sensitive
nature a contrast, a difference, between them; he had somehow reached
ground to which she could not attain. He drew her out to speak of her
new studies and congratulated her upon her progress; but the call was
not a success, socially or otherwise.

When Darrell left the house he believed more firmly than ever that
Marion had