and appeared ill at ease. Lucien was not present, fortunately for her;
and I fancied she watched the door, as if anxiously fearing his
entrance; certain it was she started nervously at every distant sound.

"Will you revisit Stamford next summer, Miss Barclay?" I asked.

Kate replied that she was uncertain at present.

"I suppose Kate has not told you," said her father, laughingly, "that
long before another summer she will cease to be mistress of her own
movements. She expects to be in Germany next summer, I believe, with
her husband," and he looked significantly at Col. Paulding, who was
standing out on the lawn with Mrs. Morris, admiring the beautiful
view, quite out of hearing distance. Effie was just stepping from the
French window of the drawing-room into the conservatory to gather some
of her pretty flowers for her visiters, as she heard Mr. Barclay say
this. She turned with a stern, cold look, and regarded Kate Barclay
quietly. Kate colored crimson, then grew deadly white, and trembled
from head to foot; but her father did not notice it, as he had
followed Col. Paulding and Mrs. Morris out on the lawn. There we three
stood, Effie, cold and pale as a statue, and Kate looking quite like a
criminal. She looked up, attempting to make some laughing remark, but
the words died in her throat as she met Effie's stern, cold glance;
she gasped, trembled, then rallied, and at last, with a proud look of
defiance, she swept out on the lawn, and taking Col. Paulding's arm,
proposed departure. She bade us good-bye most gracefully; but I saw
that she avoided offering her hand to Effie. As the gate closed, she
looked over her shoulder indifferently, and said, in a saucy, laughing
tone,

"Oh, pray make my adieux to Mr. Decker. I regret that I shall not see
him to bid him good-bye. I depend upon the charity of you ladies to
keep me fresh in his remembrance;" and, as far as we could see her
down the road, we heard her forced laugh and unnaturally loud voice.

Lucien came in a few minutes after they left, and Mrs. Morris
delivered Kate's message. He looked agitated, and after swallowing his
cup of tea hastily and quietly, he took up his hat and went out. He
went to see Kate, but she, anticipating his visit, had retired with a
violent headache immediately after her walk; but Lucien staid long
enough to discover, as we had, Col. Paulding's relation to the
fascinating coquette. This we learned long afterward. The next day
Lucien l