lways
afraid of its tearing, and it is never taken from the wall. My house is
at the disposal of my guests, to be sure, but none of them could have
destroyed anything else that I should have felt the injury to so
keenly."

"It was not willingly done," returned Edmonson, "it was by the impulse
of fate. As to the picture, it does not seem strange that we expect
Colonel Archdale to know whom his own family portraits represent."

"It may not seem strange, but it is not unprecedented to be ignorant,"
answered his host. "My father must have known, but in obeying his
injunctions as to care of the tapestry I had no idea that I was keeping
anything but bare walls from view. Even these antlers are fastened to a
great nail in one of the beams. I remember it since I was a child. The
hanging was fitted over it, and I was glad when it was put to use in
this way."

"Yes, no doubt he could tell us about the portrait if we could only get
at him," returned Edmonson coming back to his subject. "But as to who
the gentleman is, and why you have flattered me so far as to be able to
discover any likeness between us, I owe you all an explanation. And
Colonel Archdale, another one besides, which I am most ready to make,
for having presumed to search out the painting when I found by accident
that there was one behind here. No time is so good as the present. Then,
too, I have aroused the curiosity of these ladies and gentlemen, and I
am afraid they will owe me a grudge if I don't gratify it by telling the
whole story."

"Indeed we shall," cried Katie Archdale.

Bulchester had entered behind the others unseen in the concentration of
attention upon the portrait and its exhibitor, and had spent his moment
of amazement in silence. He now glided up to Edmonson and said something
to him in an undertone too low to be caught by anyone else. The other
replied by a look of scorn, and a muttered something that sounded very
like, "You always were a fool." Then he stood silent, glancing first at
Stephen, and then at the Colonel. The young man faced him in haughty
defiance of his manner which made his words almost insulting. The elder
stood with his suavity a little disturbed, it is true; but no one except
Edmonson found fear in his face, or interpreted what he said as a desire
of postponement when he suggested that if there were anything
interesting to be heard they should wait until all the stragglers had
come up, and then adjourn to the drawing-room w