In the meantime, in her lonely mansion, Mrs. Varrick was writing a long letter to her son. In it she expressed the hope that he was having a pleasant time, and that he must not hurry home, but stay and attend to business thoroughly, even though it took him a little longer. But not one word did she mention of Jessie Bain. So preoccupied was she with her own thoughts that she did not know Hubert had entered the room until she heard his voice. "I will save you the trouble of posting your letter, mother. I see it is addressed to me. You can read me the contents in person." CHAPTER XIII. "I LOVE JESSIE BAIN WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL!" Mrs. Varrick started back with a low cry. "Is it you, Hubert?" "Yes; but upon my honor, mother, you don't seem overglad to see me." "I thought you were to have been gone a fortnight." "I succeeded in getting the business attended to much more speedily than you thought it could be done. I did not make any visits, as I was anxious to get home. But, mother, how white and ill you look!" he added. "I am quite well, but I have been suffering from a nervous headache, Hubert," she answered. "By the way," he said suddenly, "I did not forget to bring a few little souvenirs home with me," and as he spoke he drew two small velvet cases from his pocket, one of which he handed his mother, retaining the other in his hand. Opening it, Mrs. Varrick found that it contained a magnificent diamond bracelet. "That is to match, as near as possible, the beautiful bracelet you already have, mother," he said, carelessly. She reeled back as though he had struck her a sudden blow, and looked at him with terror in her eyes. "What is there in that other little velvet case?" she asked, as he made no move to hand it to her. "It is not for you, mother," he responded. "It is for Jessie." He pressed the little spring and the lid of the purple velvet box flew back, and there, lying on its shimmering satin bed, she beheld a beautiful little turquois ring set with tiny diamonds. "Jessie has never had a ring in all her life," he declared, "and it will please me to be the one to present her with the first one that will ever grace her little hand. Girl-like, she is fond of such trinkets. The sparkle of the tiny diamonds will delight her as nothing else has done in her whole life." A discordant laugh broke from Mrs. Varrick's lips. "Ay, the glitter of diamonds pleases her. How well you know the girl!" she cried shrilly. "But for glittering diamonds she might have lived a happy enough life of it. Will people ever learn the lesson that they can not pick up girls from the depths of poverty and obscurity and transplant then into elegant surroundings and expect good to come of it?"