ral life. I am going to try
and live somewhere where people are simpler, and where life is not made
up of gambling and plotting and senseless luxuries. I am tired to death
of it all!"

"You are going to be married?"

Stella turned away and hid her face.

"No!" she said, "I do not think so."

There was a short silence. Virginia rose to her feet.

"Well," she said, "I think you have been a little unkind to me, Stella.
I could have reached the bell and stopped you, only I hated to seem rude
in your father's house."

"I am sorry," Stella said simply. "You see I am like all those other
poor fools who care for a man. I put him first, and everybody else
nowhere. Don't be afraid that I shall not have to suffer for it. I dare
say if you know me, or anything about me, in five years' time, you will
feel that you have had your revenge. If you take my advice, little
girl," she added, speaking more kindly, "you will go back to your
farmhouse and take up your simpler life there. I do not fancy that you
were made for cities, or the ways of cities. I lived in the country
once, and I was a very different sort of person. Run away now. I can do
nothing for you, so it is no use staying, but if ever you need help, the
ordinary, commonplace sort of help, I mean, write to me to Baring's,
either in London or Paris. I'll do what I can."

Virginia went out again into the street and drove back home.
Mechanically she changed her clothes and dressed for dinner. At eight
o'clock she descended, shivering. Her uncle was already in his place. He
rose as she entered, gravely, and took his place again as she sank into
hers. His face was like a mask. He said nothing, and the few remarks
which he made during dinner-time were on purely ordinary topics. There
was only a minute or two, after the dessert had been placed upon the
table and the remaining man servant had gone out with a message, during
which they were alone. Then Virginia summoned up her courage to speak of
the matter which was like a nightmare in her thoughts.

"Uncle," she said, "I think you ought to know this. I went to Mr. Weiss'
office. He did not know that the paper was not still in your keeping. I
went to Stella, and she told me that she had not taken it for them. She
told me that they had offered her one hundred thousand dollars for it,
but she never had any idea of letting them have it."

If Phineas Duge was surprised, he showed no signs of it, only he looked
steadily into his