told him that "Government is
maintained by reward and punishment," he may have reasoned that this was
an occasion for reward. So he said to the young man, who had risen, and
was standing before him:

"Rothsay, we shall leave here for New York on Tuesday, to sail by the
Saturday's steamer for Liverpool. If your engagements admit of it, and
if you would like to spend the intervening time near Cora, we should be
pleased to have you stay here."

Rule spent three happy days at Rockhold, and in the evening of the third
day, the evening before they were to leave for Europe, he asked Mr.
Rockharrt if he might have the privilege of attending the travelers to
the seaport, and seeing them off by the steamer.

The Iron King found no objection to this plan. Mrs. Rockharrt was
pleased, and Cora was delighted with it.

Accordingly, on the next morning, they left Rockhold for New York, where
they arrived on the evening of the next day.

And on Saturday morning they went on board the steamer Persia, bound for
Liverpool.

They bade good-by to Regulas Rothsay, on the deck, at the last moment.

The signal gun was fired, and our party sailed away to a new life, in
which the faith of a woman was to be tempted and lost, and the career of
a man was to be wrecked.

It was in the third year of their absence that they returned from the
Continent to England. They reached London in February, in time to see
the grand pageant of the queen opening parliament. After which they
attended the first royal drawing room of the season, on which occasion
Mrs. Rockharrt and Miss Haught were presented to her Majesty by the wife
of the American minister.

Cora Haught was a new beauty and a new social sensation. She was,
indeed, more beautiful than she had been when she left America. A richly
colored Southern brunette was unique among British blondes. It was for
this, perhaps, she was so much admired.

Moreover, she was reported to be the only descendant of her grandfather
and the sole heiress of his fabulous wealth.

There was at this time another _debutant_ in society, a young man, the
Duke of Cumbervale, who had lately reached his majority and come into
his estates, or what was left of them--an ancient castle and a few
barren acres in Northumberland, an old hall and a few acres in Sussex,
and a town house in London; but his title was an historical one. His
person was handsome, his manners attractive, and his mind highly
cultivated.

Cora met hi