The "wee sma'" hours were beginning to lengthen once more when Celine was released from duty, and went wearily up to her room; wearily, yet with undimmed eyes, and the mischievous dimples still lurking about the corners of her mouth. She muttered: "Bah! it is better than sleep, after all; if only the others were as easily duped as she!" By which words, a listener might have been led to suppose that Celine Leroque had been practising deception upon some confiding individual. CHAPTER XVII. GATHERING CLUES. Claire had been absent all the morning, had gone to make some call; at least she had said to Olive, at breakfast, "I think I will take the ponies, Olive, and drive into the city this morning. It is nice out of doors, and I have made no calls since I came here." Olive Girard sat alone in her cosy drawing-room. She had been reading, but the book was somehow not in tune with her mind or mood. She had allowed it to fall at her feet, where it lay, half opened, while she drifted away from the present in sorrowful reverie. Lifting her eyes, she saw a cab drive away from the villa gate, and a form hurrying along the marble pathway. Springing up, Olive herself threw open the door, and clasped her arms about--Miss Arthur's French maid! who returned the caress with much enthusiasm. "Madeline, my dear child, how glad I am to see you!" "Even in this disguise?" laughed the girl. "Even in blue glasses, and that horrid jacket," smiled Olive. "What an ugly thing it is. Come and take it off, _ma belle_; do," leading the way up the stairs. "I come, autocrat, and I shall much enjoy getting out of this head-gear," shaking her bewigged head. Then abruptly, "Where's Claire?" "Out for a drive and some calls," without looking back. "How surprised and glad she will be to see you. Now, come in and make a lady of yourself once more." She led the way into Madeline's room. "Are you tired, dear?" "Not at all." "Then come into my boudoir when you are dressed, and we will have a cosy chat while waiting for Claire." "I won't be long," responded the girl. "I have a good many things to say to you, which had better be said before Claire comes." "Very well; I await your ladyship," and Olive closed the door, leaving Miss Arthur's maid alone. "I thought so," muttered she, tearing off the blue glasses; "she has gone to meet Edward Percy. Poor dupe! it is indeed time to act." She discarded the ill-fitting jacket, flung away the ugly black wig, and, in a very few moments, stood arrayed in a pretty, neatly fitting gown, glowing and lovely,--Madeline Payne once more. "I wonder if I shall see or hear of _him_," she whispered to herself as she crossed to Olive's boudoir. "Oh, if I could! It would be one ray of sunlight only to clasp his hand!"