at her ease.

"I wonder," she said, "if there is any foundation for a doubt that has
troubled me?" To his unutterable relief, she at once explained what the
doubt was. "I am afraid I offended you, in replying to your letter about
Miss Jethro."

In this case, Alban could enjoy the luxury of speaking unreservedly. He
confessed that Emily's letter had disappointed him.

"I expected you to answer me with less reserve," he replied; "and I
began to think I had acted rashly in writing to you at all. When there
is a better opportunity, I may have a word to say--" He was apparently
interrupted by something that he saw in the conservatory. Looking that
way, Emily perceived that Mirabel was the object which had attracted
Alban's attention. The vile anonymous letter was in his mind again.
Without a preliminary word to prepare Emily, he suddenly changed the
subject. "How do you like the clergyman?" he asked.

"Very much indeed," she replied, without the slightest embarrassment.
"Mr. Mirabel is clever and agreeable--and not at all spoiled by his
success. I am sure," she said innocently, "you will like him too."

Alban's face answered her unmistakably in the negative sense--but
Emily's attention was drawn the other way by Francine. She joined them
at the moment, on the lookout for any signs of an encouraging result
which her treachery might already have produced. Alban had been inclined
to suspect her when he had received the letter. He rose and bowed as she
approached. Something--he was unable to realize what it was--told him,
in the moment when they looked at each other, that his suspicion had hit
the mark.

In the conservatory the ever-amiable Mirabel had left his friends for
a while in search of flowers for Cecilia. She turned to her father when
they were alone, and asked him which of the gentlemen was to take her in
to dinner--Mr. Mirabel or Mr. Morris?

"Mr. Morris, of course," he answered. "He is the new guest--and he turns
out to be more than the equal, socially-speaking, of our other friend.
When I showed him his room, I asked if he was related to a man who
bore the same name--a fellow student of mine, years and years ago, at
college. He is my friend's younger son; one of a ruined family--but
persons of high distinction in their day."

Mirabel returned with the flowers, just as dinner was announced.

"You are to take Emily to-day," Cecilia said to him, leading the way out
of the conservatory. As they entered the dr