The canter had given Cora a color. She looked straight before her for a
moment, and then she said:

"I think I recognize that other man."

"Who is it?"

"Some one I should like you to know, Burt. His name is Lefferts."

The lane was now too narrow for four to ride abreast. Crane drew Eliot
to his side. He wanted to ask him about the Crosslett-Billingtons, for
since the disappearance of the miniature, he had made up his mind to
investigate the references of his staff. But strange to say, Eliot had
never heard of the Billingtons, of their collection of tapestry, or
their villa at Capri. He wished to talk of the Revellys.

"A great loss they are to the county, Crane, though, of course, we gain
you. I wonder where they are. Gone North, I heard, though I thought I
saw one of the boys out the morning of the day you came. The Revellys
will hunt anything, from a plow-horse to a thoroughbred. Hard up, you
know. Glad they consented to rent their house. Didn't suppose they ever
would. Too proud, you know. They have things in it of immense value.
Portrait of the grandfather, Marshall Revelly. Second in command to
Stonewall Jackson at one time. I'd like to have you know them. Paul, the
elder brother, is a man of some ability; may make his mark. And the
younger daughter, Miss Claudia Revelly--" Do what he would, Eliot's
voice changed slightly in pronouncing the name. "--Miss Claudia is one
of our great beauties, the recipient of a great deal of attention. Why,
sir, last summer, when Daniel W. Williams, the Governor-elect of this
State, saw Miss Claudia at--"

But the story, in which, to be candid, Crane did not take a great deal
of interest, was interrupted by Cora who pushed her mare forward in
order to attract Crane's attention and to introduce him to her
companion.

The young man was extraordinarily good-looking. His eyes were a strange
greenish-brown color, like the water in the dock of a city ferry; his
skin was ivory in hue and as smooth as a woman's, but his hands and a
certain decisiveness of gesture were virile in the extreme.

"We ought to have a good run," said Crane, in order to say something.

"If any run can be good," answered the young man.

"You don't like hunting?"

"I hate anything to do with horses," answered Lefferts, plaintively.
"You must admit they are particularly unintelligent animals. If they
weren't, of course they wouldn't let us bully them and ride them about,
when they could do anything th