And Dr. Matthewson enjoyed it all to the full, and was never tired of hearing of the Forrest House, or of asking questions about Rosamond, of whom Josey at last affected to be jealous. And so the days went on until the first week in January, when one morning, as the doctor and Josephine sat together on the long piazza of the hotel, a carriage from the boat arrived, laden with trunks, and children, and two ladies, one middle-aged, and apparently the mother of the children, the other, young, graceful, and pretty, even in her soiled traveling dress of dark gray serge. As she threw back her vail and descended from the carriage Josephine started suddenly, and exclaimed: “Rosamond Hastings, for all the world! What brought her here?” “Who? Where? Do you mean that girl with the blue vail and gray dress, and,—by Jove, those magnificent eyes?” Dr. Matthewson said, as Rosamond turned her face in the direction where he was sitting, and glanced rapidly at the groups of people upon the piazza, without, however, seeing any one distinctly. “Yes, that’s Rosamond,” Josey replied, with a feeling of annoyance at the arrival of one who might work her so much harm. “I’ll see her at once, and make that matter right,” she thought, and trusting to Rossie’s good nature and her ingenuity, she resumed her conversation with the doctor, who seemed unusually silent and absent-minded, and after a little excused himself, saying he was not feeling quite well, and believed he’d take a sail on the river, and see if the fresh air would not revive him. Usually Josephine had been his companion in his sails on the river, but he did not ask her to go with him now. He preferred to be alone, and with a gracious bow he walked away, not so much to try the river air as to think over and perfect his plans for the future. “By George!” he said to himself, “this is what I call luck. Here I’ve been wondering how I should find the girl, and behold, she has dropped suddenly upon me, and if I play my cards well the game is mine, and her money too, or my name is not Matthewson, _ne_ Hastings, _ne_ villain of the first water.” CHAPTER XLI. HOW THE GAME WAS PLAYED.