the statue's
coldness; for the uncovered throat and bosom held delicious dimples
where the robe fell apart and was swept aside by her restless
movements.

But her own appearance was evidently far from her thoughts at that
moment. Several of Mrs. McVeigh's very affectionate words and glances
had recurred to her and brought her a momentary restlessness. It was
utterly absurd that it should be so, especially when she had
encouraged the fondness, and meant to continue doing so. But she had
not counted on being susceptible to the same feeling for Kenneth
McVeigh's mother--yet she had come very near it, and felt it necessary
to lay down the limits as to just how far she would allow such a
fondness to lead her.

And the fact that she was in the home of her one-time lover gave rise
to other complex fancies. How would they meet if chance should send
him there during her stay? He had had time for many more such boyish
fancies since those days, and back of them all was the home sweetheart
she heard spoken of so often--Gertrude Loring.

How very, very long ago it seemed since the meetings at Fontainbleau;
what an impulsive fool she had been, and how childish it all seemed
now!

But Judithe de Caron told herself she was not the sort of person to
allow memories of bygone sentiment to interfere for long with
practical affairs. She drew up a chair to the little stand by the
window and plunged into the work she had spoken of, and for an hour
her pen moved rapidly over the paper until page after page was laid
aside.

But after the last bit of memoranda was completed she leaned back,
looking out into the blue mists of the night--across his lands
luxuriant in all the beauty of summer time and moonlight, the fields
over which he had ridden, the trees under which he had walked, with,
perhaps, an occasional angry thought of her--never dreaming that she,
also, would walk there some day.

"But to think that I _am_ actually here--here above all!" she murmured
softly. "Maman, once I said I would be Judithe indeed to that man if
he was ever delivered into my hands. Yet, when he came I ran away from
him--ran away because I was afraid of him! But now--"

Her beautiful eyes half closed in a smile not mirthful, and the
sentence was left unfinished.

CHAPTER XVIII.

What embraces, ejaculations and caresses, when Evilena, accompanied by
Pluto and the delighted Raquel, arrived at the Terrace next morning!
Judithe, who saw from the v