Wendover and invested all his capital in college fees
and entered himself as a student at the University, for the sake of
being near his enchantress," said Electra.

"Poor boy!" sighed Emma, with genuine pity.

And before they could exchange another word, the sound of
carriage-wheels at the gate announced the arrival of Alden and Laura
Lytton.

CHAPTER X.

THE FALSE AND THE TRUE LOVE.

Did woman's charms thy youth beguile,
And did the fair one faithless prove?
Hath she betrayed thee with a smile
And sold thy love?

Live! 'Twas a false, bewildering fire:
Too often love's insidious dart
Thrills the fond soul with wild desire,
But kills the heart.

A nobler love shall warm thy breast,
A brighter maiden faithful prove,
And thy ripe manhood shall be blest
In woman's love.
--MONTGOMERY.

Emma Cavendish, with her cheeks blooming and eyes beaming with pleasure,
ran out to meet her friends.

Alden and Laura Lytton, just admitted by the footman, stood within the
hall.

Miss Cavendish welcomed Laura with a kiss and Alden with a cordial grasp
of the hand.

"I am so delighted to see you, dear Laura; and you also, Mr. Lytton,"
she said, leading the way into the parlor.

"Well as I like my kind relatives at Lytton Lodge, I am very glad to get
back to you, Emma, dear, and that is the truth," answered Laura, as she
sank into an arm-chair and began to draw off her gloves.

Alden said nothing. He had bowed deeply in response to Miss Cavendish's
words of welcome, and now he was thinking what a bright and beautiful
creature she was, how full of healthful, joyous life she seemed, and
wondering that he had never noticed all this before.

But he had noticed it before. When he first saw Emma Cavendish in her
father's house in the city he had thought her the most heavenly vision
of loveliness that had ever beamed upon mortal eyes; and he would have
continued to think so had not the baleful beauty of Mary Grey glided
before him and beguiled his sight and his soul.

But Mary Grey was gone with all her magic arts, and the very atmosphere
seemed clearer and brighter for her absence.

"As soon as you have rested a little come up to your room, Laura, and
lay on your wraps. Tea will be ready by the time we come down again.
And, Mrs. Lytton, your old attendant, Jerome, will show you to your
apartment,"