hington, and from there to New York;
and then, possibly, abroad.

"Dear me!--and his surveying camp, and the swamp, and those interesting
young bears he had there?" said Mrs. Rutherford, who, having once
arranged this very handsome young man's background definitely in her
mind, was loath to change it, "even," as she remarked, with an unusual
flight of imagination,--"even for the White House!"

"It would hardly be the Executive Mansion in any case, I fancy,"
explained Mr. Moore, mildly, "Lucian has, I think, no acquaintance with
the President. But Washington is in reality his home; though it is
perhaps apparent that he has not been there very often of late years."

These rather vague deductions regarding his young cousin's movements
were satisfactory to Middleton Moore; he had evidently asked no more
questions of Lucian on the occasion of his unexpected departure than he
had upon the occasion of his equally unexpected arrival; his interest in
him (which was great) had no connection with the interrogation point.

"What shall you do now?" said Winthrop to Margaret, after the clergyman
had taken leave. They were alone in the little drawing-room, Mrs.
Rutherford having gone to put herself in the hands of Celestine for the
elaborate change of dress required before her daily drive.

Margaret had risen; but she stopped long enough to answer: "Of course
now I need not speak to Mrs. Thorne about Mr. Spenser."

"No. But about Garda's going north? Do you still think of that?"

"Yes; that is, I should like very much to take her. But I don't think I
shall speak of it immediately, there need be no hurry now." She paused.
"I should like first to talk it over more clearly with you," she said,
as if with an effort.

"Whenever you please; I am always at your service," replied Winthrop,
with a return of his formal manner.

That afternoon he rode down to East Angels. Mrs. Thorne received him;
there was excitement visible in her face and manner--an excitement which
she held in careful control; but it manifested itself, in spite of the
control, in the increased brightness of her eyes, which now fairly
shone, in the round spot of red on each little cheek-bone, and in the
more accentuated distinctness of her speech, which now came as nearly as
possible to a pronunciation of every letter. She asked him how he was;
she inquired after the health of Mrs. Rutherford, after the health of
Mrs. Harold; she even included Celestine. She spoke of