"And yet a little while ago they were saying that she would be married before the year was out." "Indeed!" said Una. "It would be a grand match for any one," said Stephen. "It would have been a great match for him." "For him?" said Una. "Who was it?" Stephen started and looked embarrassed, as if he had made a slip of the tongue. "Well," he said, with a little, awkward laugh; "but--are you jealous? Perhaps I ought not to tell tales out of school, though the affair is off long ago, and he has made a happier choice." Una put the fire screen on one side and looked at him calmly. He was sitting almost at her feet. Mrs. Davenant was dozing in her accustomed arm-chair. "Of whom do you speak?" she asked. Stephen hesitated, as if reluctant to reply. "Well," he said, "it is mere gossip, of course, but gossip awarded the great prize of the season to a near and dear friend of yours." Una's heart beat fast. She guessed what was coming. "Tell me," she said, in a low voice. "Tut!" said Stephen, as if ashamed to retail such idle gossip. "Well, they said that Jack meant to marry the great heiress." "It is not true," Una said; but her color went, and left her quite pale and cold. "Of course not," said Stephen, cheerfully; "though I would not say but there was some excuse for the rumor. Jack was a great deal at Park Lane until he met--one who shall be nameless." And he looked up at her with a smile. "Why, they went so far as to congratulate him," he said, laughing as if at an excellent joke. "And indeed I think if Jack had said 'Yes,' Lady Bell would not have said 'No.' So, you see, that you have made a veritable conquest!" And he laughed again. But there was no answering smile on Una's pale face. It was not of Lady Bell she thought, but of herself and Jack. It was true she had stepped in between Jack and wealth and prosperity--she, the penniless daughter of a woodman, had prevented his marrying the great heiress and becoming the master of Earl's Court and all the Earlsley wealth! A chill passed over her, and she raised the screen to hide her face from Stephen's eye. "Yes, it would have been a great match for Jack," he said, carelessly--"it would have set him on his feet, as they say. But he is still more fortunate." And he sighed. Una rose. "I think I will go up now," she said; and she went and woke Mrs. Davenant. Stephen escorted them to the head of the stairs, smiling as if nothing had been said, and then went straight to the old library and rang the bell. It was understood that no one was to answer the library bell but Slummers, and Slummers now appeared. Stephen wrote two letters; one ran thus: "MY DEAR MR. ROLFE:--Be kind enough to be at my chambers tomorrow morning at eight o'clock." The other was still more short; it was addressed to Mr. Levy Moss: "Put on the screw at once." Calmly and leisurely he put them in their envelopes, as if the fate and happiness of two souls were not hanging upon them, and gave them to Slummers.