nd and her guest alone together; or rather, she pretended to leave
them so; but really, with that insanity of jealousy which made her
forget her womanhood, she merely went out and around the hall into the
library, and placed herself behind the folding doors communicating with
the drawing room, where she could hear and see all that might be going
on between her husband and her rival.

It is proverbial that "listeners never hear any good of themselves."

Sybil's case was no exception to this rule. This is what she heard of
_herself_.

"What ever could have ailed Mrs. Berners," inquired Mrs. Blondelle, with
a pretty lisp.

"What could have ailed Sybil? Why, nothing, that I noticed. What
_should_ have ailed her?" on his side inquired Mr. Berners.

"She was very much excited!" exclaimed Mrs. Blondelle, with a
significant shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh! that was from her exhilarating morning ride, which raised her
spirits."

"Which excited her excessively, I should say, if it really _was_ the
ride."

"Of course it was the ride. And I admit that she was very gay," laughed
Mr. Berners.

"Gay?" echoed Rosa, raising her eyebrows--"Gay? Why, she was almost
delirious, my friend."

"Oh! well; Sybil gives full vent to her feelings; always did, always
will. My little wife is in many respects a mere child, you know," said
Mr. Berners, tenderly.

"Ah! what a happy child, to have her faults so kindly indulged! I wish I
were that child!" sighed Rosa.

"But why should you wish to be anything else but yourself, being so
charming as you are?" he softly inquired.

"Do you really like me, just as I am, Mr. Berners?" she meekly inquired,
dropping her eyes.

"I really do. I have told you so, Rosa," he answered, approaching her,
and taking her hand.

She sighed and turned away her head; but she left her hand in his clasp.

"Dear Rosa! dear child!" he murmured. "You are not happy."

"No, not happy," she echoed, in a broken voice.

"Dear Rosa! what can I do to make you happy?" he tenderly inquired.

"You? What can you do? Oh!--But I forget myself! I know not what I say!
I must leave you, Mr. Berners!" she exclaimed, in well-acted alarm, as
she snatched her hand from his grasp and fled from the room.

Mr. Berners looked after her, sighed heavily, and then began to walk
thoughtfully up and down the room.

Sybil, from her covert, watched him, and grimly nodded her head. Then
she also slipped away.

An hour later than this,