s like us."

"He _is_ busy, but he only learned of your presence a few days ago."

Viola turned. "Mother, this is Mrs. Rice, Professor Serviss's sister."

Kate liked Mrs. Lambert also, for she was looking remarkably handsome
in a black gown of simple pattern. "If these are adventuresses they
are very clever in dress," was her inward comment. "I don't wonder
Morton was captivated." And she presently said: "Can't you take me to
your own room? I want to talk secrets with you."

"Yes, let us do that." Viola turned to her mother. "Let's take Mrs.
Rice to our sitting-room."

Mrs. Lambert assented timidly, with a quick glance towards Simeon, who
was garrulously declaiming to Britt concerning the wonders of another
painting by the Swedish cook.

Pratt, seeing the women rise, approached. "Where are you going?" he
asked, with a note of impatience in his voice.

"To my room," answered Viola, firmly, and led the way up-stairs in
silence; but when they were beyond earshot in the hall above she
bitterly exclaimed: "He spies on everything I do. He will hardly let
me out of his sight. I am beginning to hate him, he has so little
sense of decency."

"Viola!" warned the mother.

"I don't care," retorted the girl, defiantly. "Why do we endure
him--we are not dependent on him. He treats us precisely as if he
owned us, and I'm tired of it. I wish papa would come on and take us
home."

"He may be a bore, but he houses you like royalty," Kate remarked, as
she glanced about the suite which Viola and her mother occupied. It
formed the entire eastern end of the third floor of the house, and the
decorations were Empire throughout, with stately canopied beds and a
most luxurious bath-room.

"Oh yes, it's beautiful; but I would rather be this minute in our
little log-cabin in the West," answered the girl, with wistful
sadness. "Oh, these warm days make me homesick. When I was there I
hated it, now I long to get back. I seem five years older--this winter
has been terribly long to me."

"Well, now, lock the door," exclaimed Kate, excitedly, "and tell me
all about yourself. Start at the very beginning. Dr. Britt has told me
something, but I want to know everything. When did you first know you
had this power? That's the first question."

Mrs. Lambert began in the tone of one retelling an old story. "Up till
the day my little son Walter died, Viola was just like any other girl
of her age--healthy and pretty--a very pretty child."

"I