Rose was in the way, during the course of the evening, of hearing remarks of the most disagreeable and startling nature with regard to the relations of Harry and Lillie to each other. They filled her with a sort of horror, as if she had come to an unwholesome place; while she indignantly repelled them from her thoughts, as every uncontaminated woman will the first suspicion of the purity of a sister woman. In Rose’s view it was monstrous and impossible. Yet when she stood at one time in a group to see them waltzing, she started, and felt a cold shudder, as a certain instinctive conviction of something not right forced itself on her. She closed her eyes, and wished herself away; wished that she had not let Mrs. Van Astrachan go home without her; wished that somebody would speak to Lillie and caution her; felt an indignant rising of her heart against Harry, and was provoked at herself that she was engaged to him for the “German.” She turned away; and, taking the arm of the gentleman with her, complained of the heat as oppressive, and they sauntered off together into the bowery region beyond. “Oh, now! where can I have left my fan?” she said, suddenly stopping. “Let me go back and get it for you,” said he of the whiskers who attended her. It was one of the dancing young men of New York, and it is no particular matter what his name was. “Thank you,” said Rose: “I believe I left it on the sofa in the yellow drawing-room.” He was gone in a moment. Rose wandered on a little way, through the labyrinth of flowers and shadowy trees and fountains, and sat down on an artificial rock where she fell into a deep reverie. Rising to go back, she missed her way, and became quite lost, and went on uneasily, conscious that she had committed a rudeness in not waiting for her attendant. At this moment she looked through a distant alcove of shrubbery, and saw Harry and Lillie standing together,—she with both hands laid upon his arm, looking up to him and speaking rapidly with an imploring accent. She saw him, with an angry frown, push Lillie from him so rudely that she almost fell backward, and sat down with her handkerchief to her eyes; he came forward hurriedly, and met the eyes of Rose fixed upon him. [Illustration: “She saw him, with an angry frown, push Lillie from him.”] “Mr. Endicott,” she said, “I have to ask a favor of you. Will you be so good as to excuse me from the ‘German’ to-night, and order my carriage?” “Why, Miss Ferguson, what is the matter?” he said: “what has come over you? I hope I have not had the misfortune to do any thing to displease you?” Without replying to this, Rose answered, “I feel very unwell. My head is aching violently, and I cannot go through the rest of the evening. I must go home at once.” She spoke it in a decided tone that admitted of no question. Without answer, Harry Endicott gave her his arm, accompanied her through the final leave-takings, went with her to the carriage, put her in, and sprang in after her.