me, and so lost the great chance of his life. So sad for
him!"

Margaret recalled Gerald's expression, "a rope-walking Tiffany," and
could not help smiling in spite of her anxiety; but Mrs. Peyton hid her
face in her hands.

"Take them away!" she said. "Take them off, Grace! I never want to see
them again. Horrible things, all blood and flame! who knows how many
other lives they have cost? and it is no fault of mine that they have
not cost yours. No fault of mine!"

This was so true, that neither Grace nor Margaret spoke. Mrs. Peyton
rose, and moved restlessly about the room.

"Incidentally," she said, "I have got well."

Grace glanced at Margaret, but still neither spoke. Mrs. Peyton gave
Grace a strange look. "You didn't set fire to the house deliberately, I
suppose?" she said.

"I did not!" said Grace, bluntly. "To be honest, I have thought of
it--thought, I mean, of the effect it might produce; but it isn't a
thing one does in general society."

"I remember!" said Mrs. Peyton, dreamily. "I remember. I did it myself."

"Did it yourself?" cried Margaret, aghast. Grace was silent.

"I threw the candle down. I had been looking in the glass, and I found a
new wrinkle, a horrible one. I threw the candle down, and it fell on a
roll of cotton wool. How it went! I can hear the sound now, and see the
fire run--run!"

"I wouldn't talk about it any more," said Grace, quietly.

"I must. I must tell it all. She--Grace, there--found me; it had caught
my bed, and the curtains were blazing. She carried me out of the room
and down the stairs herself. What is she made of? She isn't so tall as
I. Then--at the door--she set me down and told me to run, and I ran. We
ran together, till the devil brought these things into my mind, and I
sent her back to be burned up for my vanity."

"I wasn't burned up," said Grace, composedly; "and as you remarked just
now, Mrs. Peyton, you have got well. Do you want to know what I think?"

"Yes, Grace--"

"I think--that the game was worth the candle!"

CHAPTER XVI.

FOR AULD LANG SYNE

"Confess that I have surprised you, John Montfort!" said Mrs. Peyton.

"I do confess it, Emily," Mr. Montfort answered, gravely. "But I am
truly glad that my house has been able to afford you shelter when you
were in need of it."

"That is as much as to say, that under other circumstances--never mind!
I am not going to quarrel with you, John."

"I trust not," said Mr. Montfort, still speak