uarter of an hour. She had incidentally
asked me where I was staying now, and had not seemed surprised or shocked
when I said Claridge's, and by myself.

All she said was: "What a lonely little girl! But I dare say it is very
restful sometimes to be by one's self, only you must let your friends come
and see you, won't you?"

"I don't think I have any friends," I said. "You see, I have been out so
little, but if you would come and see me--oh, I should be so grateful."

"Then you must count me as one of your rare friends!" she said.

Nothing could be so rare or so sweet as her smile. Fancy papa throwing
over this angel for Mrs. Carruthers! Men are certainly unaccountable
creatures.

I said I would be too honored to have her for a friend, and she took my
hand.

"You bring back the long ago," she said. "My name is Evangeline,
too--Sophia Evangeline--and I sometimes think you may have been called so
in remembrance of me."

What a strange, powerful factor love must be! Here were these two women,
Mrs. Carruthers and Lady Merrenden--the very opposites of each other--and
they had evidently both adored papa, and both, according to their natures,
had taken an interest in me in consequence, the child of a third woman who
had superseded them both! Papa must have been extraordinarily fascinating,
for to the day of her death Mrs. Carruthers had his miniature on her
table, with a fresh rose beside it--his memory the only soft spot, it
seemed, in her hard heart.

And this sweet lady's eyes melted in tenderness when she spoke of the long
ago, although she does not know me well enough yet to say anything
further. To me papa's picture is nothing so very wonderful--just a
good-looking young Guardsman, with eyes shaped like mine, only gray, and
light, curly hair. He must have had "a way with him," as the servants say.

At that moment the Duke of Torquilstone came in. Oh, such a sad sight!

A poor, humpbacked man, with a strong face and head and a soured,
suspicious, cynical expression. He would evidently have been very tall but
for his deformity--a hump stands out on his back almost like Mr. Punch. He
can't be much over forty, but he looks far older; his hair is quite gray.

Not a line or an expression in him reminded me of Lord Robert, I am glad
to say.

Lady Merrenden introduced us, and Lord Merrenden came in then, too, and we
all went down to luncheon.

It was a rather small table, so we were all near one another and could