For the struggle with Howard Templeton for the possession of the millionaire's fortune which Xenie had anticipated with such passionate zest had been no struggle after all. In a few weeks after the burial of the poor drowned woman whom she had identified as her sister, Xenie and her mother had returned to the United States, taking with them Lora's child, and as nurse, Ninon, the little maid-servant. A costly bribe had sealed the lips of the little French maid, and the truth of the little boy's parentage was a dead secret with her. Immediately after her arrival at home, Xenie had placed her case in the hand of a noted lawyer. He undertook it in perfect faith. He did not dream that he had been employed as the necessary aid to carry out a wicked scheme of revenge and perpetrate a gigantic fraud. He took immediate steps to regain the possession of the deceased millionaire's property in the interest of his posthumous child. The case immediately attracted public attention and interest, both from the high position of the parties to the suit and the great wealth involved. But for several months nothing could be heard from the defendant, who was still absent in Europe, although the lawyer who managed his property in his native city wrote him frantic and repeated appeals to return and defend his case. At length, when patience had ceased to be a virtue with the plaintiff, and the opposition was about to push the suit for judgments without him, a brief letter was received from Howard Templeton, instructing the lawyers to postpone everything until after his arrival. He would sail on a certain day and upon a certain steamer, and be with them four weeks from date. Mrs. St. John was quite content to wait after she heard of that letter. She felt so sure that she would win that she was willing to wait until her enemy came. She wanted to triumph over him face to face. So the weeks dragged by, and Howard's steamer was due in port. It did not come. Soon it was a week over-due. Then came one of those dreadful reports of marine disasters that now and then thrill the great heart of humanity with horror. There had been a terrible storm at sea, and the ship had gone to pieces upon a hidden rock. Only seven persons had been saved. Howard Templeton's name appeared in the list of passengers who had perished. So there could be no further delay now. The case went before the courts and was very speedily decided. Mrs. St. John gained the case and had her revenge. But it was no revenge, after all, since Howard Templeton was not alive to pay the bitter cost of her vengeance. So the golden fruit, bought at the price of her soul's peace, turned to bitter ashes on her loathing lips. CHAPTER XXII. "Mrs. St. John, allow me to present to you Lord Dudley." Xenie turned with a languid smile and bowed to the tall, elegant gentleman who bent admiringly before her. Only ten minutes before Mrs. Egerton had whispered to her eagerly: