“Well, I shall walk to the end of the terrace, and give you a chance to try your wiles. But I am ready to bet ten dollars that you don’t succeed.” “I’ll take you,” answered the young lady. “Yes, you said you would that night on the steamer.” “Oh, that’s a very good way of getting out of a hopeless bet.” “I am ready to make the bet all right enough, but I know you haven’t a ten-dollar bill about you.” “Well, that is very true, for I have changed all my money to English currency; but I am willing to bet its equivalent.” Morris walked to the end of the terrace. When he got back he found that the door of the house was as wide open as the gates of the park had been. “There is something uncanny about all this,” he said. “I am just beginning to see that you have a most dangerous power of fascination. I could understand it with old Giles, but I must admit that I thought the stern housekeeper would—” “My dear George,” interrupted Katherine, “almost anything can be accomplished with people, if you only go about it the right way.” “Now, what is there to be seen in this house?” “All that there is to be seen about any old English house. I thought, perhaps, you might be interested in it.” “Oh, I am. But I mean, isn’t there any notable things? For instance, I was in Haddon Hall once, and they showed me the back stairway where a fair lady had eloped with her lover. Have they anything of that kind to show here?” Miss Earle was silent for a few moments. “Yes,” she said, “I am afraid they have.” “Afraid? Why, that is perfectly delightful. Did the young lady of the house elope with her lover?” “Oh, don’t talk in that way, George,” she said. “Please don’t.” “Well, I won’t, if you say so. I admit those little episodes generally turn out badly. Still you must acknowledge that they add a great interest to an old house of the Elizabethan age like this?” Miss Earle was silent. They had, by this time, gone up the polished stairway, which was dimly lighted by a large window of stained glass. “Here we are in the portrait hall,” said Miss Earle. “There is a picture here that I have never seen, although I have heard of it, and I want to see it. Where is it?” she asked, turning to the housekeeper, who had been following them up the stairs. “This way, my lady,” answered the housekeeper, as she brought them before a painting completely concealed by a dark covering of cloth. “Why is it covered in that way? To keep the dust from it?” The housekeeper hesitated for a moment; then she said— “The old Squire, my lady, put that on when she left, and it has never been taken off since.” “Then take it off at once,” demanded Katherine Earle, in a tone that astonished Morris. The housekeeper, who was too dignified to take down the covering herself, went to find the servant, but Miss Earle, with a gesture of impatience, grasped the cloth and tore it from its place, revealing the full-length portrait of a young lady.