ch the first and most
prominent was delight. After all, did it matter whether or not she was
engaged to Marston Brent? Simply to look at her was enough to fill a
man's soul with pleasure, to steep him in that "dewlight of repose"
which only a few rare things on this earth of ours are capable of
inspiring. Did any sane person ever fly from the sight of Venus when
she held her court all alone in the lovely summer heaven, because he
could not possess her magic lustre for his own? The comparison was not
at all highflown to Clare, whatever it may seem to anybody else. He
had always entertained as much hope of winning the star as of winning
the woman; and as for an abstract question of beauty, he would have
held that Venus herself could not have surpassed Eleanor Milbourne.
She was an adorable goddess whom any man might be content to worship
from a distance, he thought; and he was preparing to go and sun
himself in the glance of her eyes, which seemed like bits of heaven in
their blueness and their fairness, when Mrs. Brantley touched his arm
and bade him take a newly-arrived piece of white muslin in to dinner.
Clare looked a little crestfallen, but against the decision of his
hostess on this important subject what civilized man was ever known
to revolt? He took the white muslin in to dinner, and had the
satisfaction of finding himself separated by the length of the table
from Miss Milbourne.

After dinner Mrs. Brantley claimed his attention. It seemed that
there was a plan under discussion for showing the sole lion of the
neighborhood--a hill of considerable eminence known as Farley's
Mount--to the guests of The Willows. But it was distant twelve miles,
What did Major Clare think of their starting early, breaking the ride
by rest and luncheon at Claremont, then going on to the mountain,
making the ascent, and returning by moonlight?

"It will not do at all," said Victor. "Twenty-four miles is too much
to be undertaken on a July day by a mere party of pleasure. You would
break yourselves down and see nothing. I propose an amendment: Take
two days instead of one, and spend a night on the mountain. If
you have never camped on a mountain, the novelty is well worth
experiencing, and these midsummer nights have scarcely any length,
you know. Then the sunrise is magnificent."

"That is exactly what we will do," cried Mrs. Brantley, clapping her
hands with childish glee. And the proposal, being submitted to the
company, was unan