emotion held the paper up to the light. He watched
her grimly, a mirthless smile on his lips. With a well-simulated gasp of
horror she let the sheet fall on the floor and turned to him
breathlessly.

"It cannot be true! It is a lie! Oh! my poor friend!" Her voice was a
curious commingling of fear and exultation. The gossip had done her work
with artistic efficiency.

He picked up the paper and calmly read the paragraph aloud. It was short
but succinct:

"We have it on indisputable authority that the engagement of one of
Gotham's most lovely daughters, the beautiful Miss Grace Carter, to
lord Yare Ellerslie, of ellesmere, Surrey, one of Britain's most
eligible scions, will be formally announced on the return of his
lordship's yacht from the Mediterranean, where he is at present
cruising in company with his fiancee, her mother, and a party of
mutual friends. It is said to be one of those delightful
love-at-first-sight affairs, and society is all agog over the
romantic outcome of what was merely intended to be a short pleasure
trip. Lord Ellerslie is said to be immensely wealthy in his own
right and will, besides, succeed to the title and vast estates of
his father, the present earl. Miss Carter is a joint heiress of the
millions of the famous 'cattle king,' Robert Carter. We understand
that the honeymoon will include a cruise around the world in his
lordship's magnificent yacht, which has been rechristened the
'Gracie' in honor of his prospective bride."

He laid the paper down on the table and stood looking silently at It. It
seemed to the woman watching him nervously that he aged a dozen years
since she last saw him. She almost relented at the sight of his
fiercely-controlled misery, but she shut her teeth with determination.
One cannot make an omelet without the breaking of eggs. The game was a
desperate one, but she had everything at stake. She would play it out
and win.

She was about to speak when he looked up with a harsh laugh.

"Your nobleman wasn't so very 'innocuous' after all, it seems. Her
mother certainly lost no time. What is the accepted form of a letter of
congratulation on such occasions?"

"Oh! it cannot be true!" she faltered, evading his eyes unaccountably.
"There has been some terrible mistake!"

"And I have made It." He handed her Grace's little note. "This is the
amount of her correspondence in the last two m