he house, leaving the Captain to
explain matters, and to wonder at the stupidity which had made him
overlook the similarity in names.

"Why, don't you know," said he to Mrs. Endicott, "her son was one of the
party of tourists that Folsom sent to jail, and I never once connected
the names. Absurd and stupid on my part."

"Charming young man," said the lady, as she excused herself and went
off. Up in one of the rooms of Castle Moyna, when the excitement was
over and the explanations briefly made, Mona at the window described to
Arthur the people of distinction, as they made their adieus to their
hostess and expressed sympathy with the sudden and very proper
indisposition of Mrs. Dillon. He could not help thinking how small the
world is, what a puzzle is the human heart, how weird is the life of
man.

"There she is now," cried Mona, pointing to Mrs. Endicott and an old
lady, who were bidding adieu to the Countess of Skibbereen. "A perfectly
lovely face, a striking figure--oh, why should Captain Sydenham say our
Honora was the loveliest girl he ever saw?--and he saw them together you
know----"

"Saw whom together?" said Arthur.

"Why, Mrs. Endicott called on Honora at the hotel, you know."

"Oh!"

He leaned out of the window and took a long look at her with scarcely an
extra beat of the heart, except for the triumph of having met her face
to face and remained unknown. His longest look was for Aunt Lois, who
loved him, and was now helping to avenge him. Strange, strange, strange!

"Well?" cried Mona eagerly.

"The old lady is a very sweet-looking woman," he answered. "On the whole
I think Captain Sydenham was right."

CHAPTER XVII.

THE AMBASSADOR.

After the happy reunion at Castle Moyna there followed a council of war.
Captain Sydenham treasonably presided, and Honora sat enthroned amid the
silent homage of her friends, who had but one thought, to lift the
sorrow from her heart, and banish the pallor of anxiety from her lovely
face. Her violet eyes burned with fever. The Captain drew his breath
when he looked at her.

"And she sings as she looks," whispered the Countess noting his gasp.

"It's a bad time to do anything for Mr. Ledwith," the Captain said to
the little assembly. "The Fenian movement has turned out a complete
failure here in Ireland, and abroad too. As its stronghold was the
United States, you can see that the power of the American Minister will
be much diminished. It is very import