his woman, whose quick eye had
detected Mr. Arbuton at her side as she came up to the inn, bent upon
the young girl's face a stare of insolent curiosity, yet with a front of
such impassive coldness that to another she might not have seemed aware
of her presence. Kitty shuddered at the thought of being made acquainted
with her; then she remembered, "Why, how stupid I am! Of course a
gentleman can't introduce ladies; and the only thing for him to do is to
excuse himself to them as soon as he can without rudeness, and come back
to me." But none the less she felt helpless and deserted. Though
ordinarily so brave, she was so beaten down by that look, that for a
glance of not unkindly interest that the young lady gave her she was
abjectly grateful. She admired her, and fancied that she could easily be
friends with such a girl as that, if they met fairly. She wondered that
she should be there with that other, not knowing that society cannot
really make distinctions between fine and coarse, and could not have
given her a reason for their association.

Still the three walked up and down before Kitty, and still she made his
peace with herself, thinking, "He is embarrassed; he can't come to me at
once; but he will, of course."

The elder of his companions talked on in her loud voice of this thing
and that, of her summer, and of the people she had met, and of their
places and yachts and horses, and all the splendors of their
keeping,--talk which Kitty's aching sense sometimes caught by fragments,
and sometimes in full. The lady used a slang of deprecation and apology
for having come to such a queer resort as Quebec, and raised her brows
when Mr. Arbuton reluctantly owned how long he had been there.

"Ah, ah!" she said briskly, bringing the group to a stand-still while
she spoke, "one doesn't stay in a slow Canadian city a whole month for
love of the _place_. Come, Mr. Arbuton, is she English or French?"

Kitty's heart beat thickly, and she whispered to herself, "O, now!--now
surely he _must_ do something."

"Or perhaps," continued his tormentor, "she's some fair fellow-wanderer
in these Canadian wilds,--some pretty companion of voyage."

Mr. Arbuton gave a kind of start at this, like one thrilled for an
instant with a sublime impulse. He cast a quick, stealthy look at Kitty,
and then as suddenly withdrew his glance. What had happened to her who
was usually dressed so prettily? Alas! true to her resolution, Kitty had
again ref