Mrs. Stone came in at this juncture, and Kathleen began to feel quite conscience-stricken over the treachery she was meditating to the kind lady's cousin. Strangely enough, after she had cordially welcomed Uncle Ben Carew, Mrs. Stone plunged into the subject of which they had been speaking--Ralph Chainey. "I've just met the young actor," she said; "and congratulate me, my dear, for he likes my plot, and I am to write him a play. Won't that be nice? For he will make it famous. Teddy has been begging me to create a part in it for him, and to ask Mr. Chainey to take him into the company. Isn't it ridiculous in that spoiled boy? Why, he will be a married man then, with no time for acting." Kathleen turned the subject as quickly as she could, and then Mrs. Stone devoted herself to Uncle Ben, persuading him to become her guest for a week. "I shall be delighted to have you, and Teddy will be glad to have the pleasure of showing you the great sights of Boston," she declared. So it was arranged, and Mr. Darrell manfully fell into the line of duty, escorting Uncle Ben to all the places of interest in the city, feeling fully rewarded for all his trouble by the murmured thanks of his beautiful betrothed. So three days passed by peacefully, and although Kathleen wept bitter tears, when alone, over the dear letter her uncle had forbidden her to answer, she managed to preserve a calm aspect before her friends, and they did not guess how her heart was aching with its secret pain. It grieved Teddy that she seemed to shrink from him a little, but he kept on hoping he would win her love in the end. Toward the middle of the week a great surprise came to Kathleen. The long-hoped-for letter came at last. The Southern relatives, so long deaf to her loving appeals, wrote at last to say that they wanted Kathleen to come and live with them. They were rich now, and could make her life as gay and luxurious as it was before her father's death. "I should like to go and visit them. My heart always yearned for my mother's people," Kathleen said, wistfully. Uncle Ben was thoughtfully perusing the letter. He answered: "I will take you to them, my dear. I should not like for you to travel alone any more." "Oh, how good you are, dearest uncle!" cried the girl, gladly. "But do you see they want me to come right away? They want me to be there at the celebration of my grandmother's birthday, which, she says, will be quite an event in the Franklyn family, so that all the clan will be gathered at the old homestead, and I can see all of them." "We can start for Richmond to-morrow," her uncle answered, smilingly. CHAPTER XLIII. THE OLD HOUSEKEEPER'S STORY. I can not rise, my darling, My breast is bleeding--see! I stabbed myself, thou knowest, When thou wast reft from me! H. HEINE. "But my diamonds, Uncle Ben. I must wait here for them, you know," said Kathleen.