h ridicule on this occasion for two reasons: the
children were liked, and their guardian was dreaded. Anne had met and
vanquished her critics in the lists of wit and polite insolence. Then a
few other Americans, discovered by Captain Sydenham, were present, and
bore half the brunt of public attention. The Dillons met their
countrymen for a moment and forgot them, even forgot the beautiful woman
whose appearance held the eyes of the guests a long time. Captain
Sydenham was interesting them in a pathetic story of battle and death
which had just happened only a few miles away. When the two boys were
dead beside the stream in the glen, and the tourists had met their fate
before the magistrate in Cruarig, he closed the story by saying,

"And now down in the hotel is the loveliest Irish girl you ever saw,
waiting with the most patient grief for the help which will release her
father from jail. Am I not right, Mrs. Endicott?"

The beautiful American looked up with a smile.

"Yes, indeed," she replied in a clear, rich voice. "It is long since I
met a woman that impressed me more than this lonely creature. The
Captain was kind enough to take me to see her, that I might comfort her
a little. But she seemed to need little comfort. Very self-possessed you
know. Used to that sort of thing."

"The others got scot free, no thanks to old Folsom," said the Captain,
"and one went off to their yacht and the other intended to start for
Dublin to interest the secretary. The Countess should interest herself
in her. Egad, don't you know, it's worth the trouble to take an interest
in such a girl as Honora Ledwith."

"Honora Ledwith," said the Dowager at a little distance. "What do you
know of my lovely Honora?"

Already in the course of the story a suspicion had been shaping itself
in Anne's mind. The ship must have arrived, it was time to hear from
Arthur and his party; the story warned her that a similar fate might
have overtaken her friends. Then she braced herself for the shock which
came with Honora's name; and at the same moment, as in a dream, she saw
Arthur swinging up the lawn towards her group; whereupon she gave a
faint shriek, and rose up with a face so pale that all stretched out
hands to her assistance; but Arthur was before them, as she tottered to
him, and caught her in his arms. After a moment of silence, Mona and
Louis ran to his side, Captain Sydenham said some words, and then the
little group marched off the lawn to t