nd lose this glimpse of character. She was looking
out to sea. He felt sure that, although she had just smiled and bowed
she had already forgotten him again. It was nothing connected with
himself that had brought such a look to her face. But here were some of
the possibilities of this noble girl, Katie's friend. Sweeping his
glance further on as he stood there, he had reason to feel that
Elizabeth was much more deeply interested in the expedition than Katie
was. The latter had given him her farewell in her uncle's house, to be
sure. But now she seemed to have quite forgotten that he might never
come back. Any public exhibition of sentiment would have been as
distasteful to him as to her, but he had expected a little gravity. He
thought as he stood there that perhaps he had been uncourteous in not
going to say farewell to Elizabeth to whom he was so much indebted. But
it was the consciousness of this that had prevented him. He could not
bear to see her until he had returned that money put into the Archdale
firm under a mistaken supposition; for not only was Elizabeth not his
wife, but Katie for whom she assured him that she had done this, might
never be. He looked at his betrothed again in the crowd, and something
like scorn came into his face, a scorn that stung himself more deeply
than its unconscious object.

As to this money of Elizabeth's, he had not yet been able to make his
father return it. The Colonel had declared that he could pay a better
per cent. than she could get elsewhere, and would do it. He had assured
Mr. Royal of this, and the latter seemed content. But Stephen looking
back to Elizabeth again, could not keep from thinking about the money
and wishing that it were out of his hands. Yet, with this undercurrent
of thought, he at the same time was seeing in her face a beauty that
possibly did not wholly vanish with her mood, but lay half hidden behind
reserve, and waited the touch of the power that could call it forth.

Edmonson's voice, speaking to one of the officers, reached him at the
moment. Elizabeth moved her head. Instinctively he watched to see if she
turned toward the speaker. No, it was toward himself that she was
looking with a smile of farewell. He bowed eagerly, decidedly, for by
this time the troops had all embarked, the plank was up, and he was free
for the moment.

He bowed to Elizabeth. But the next instant she saw him looking intently
at some one behind her in the crowd, and she felt s