"Yes; that is true," said Mrs. Hudson. "But no woman whose heart was unselfish—no woman with a gentle, loving spirit—ever had a face like that." It took an hour at least for the different individuals of the company to get familiar with the various parties present, and to know what strangers and what acquaintances were there. Ere this, Dunbar had noticed, with some surprise and without any particular increase of pleasure, that Doctor Hudson and his wife and sister were among the guests. He had never heard of the marriage of Ella with Doctor Baldwin, whose social standing he well knew. "What young lady is that?" he asked of a friend, affecting not to know who Ella was. "The charming woman on Doctor Baldwin's arm?" "I mean the lady on the doctor's arm." "That's his wife." "Oh, no; you are in error. That cannot be his wife If I mistake not, she is the daughter of old Hudson, the watchmaker. But how she found admission here, passes my comprehension." "You are right as to her being the daughter of Hudson," replied the friend. "Then she is not the wife of Doctor Baldwin." "Yes, she is his wife; and he is as proud of her as if she were a queen; and, from all I can learn, justly so. She is a charming woman. I have met her several times during the year in large companies, and find that she is a favorite with all who know her. The doctor has shown himself to be a man of good taste." "Incredible," returned Dunbar. "I remember Ella Hudson well enough, but never saw in her anything so charming." "I don't know about what she was," said the friend; "but I do know, that she is at this present time as lovely, intelligent, and accomplished a woman as there is in this room, and as general a favorite. See! half a dozen gentlemen, whose taste even you will not dispute, have gathered around her and her husband, and you may observe that more than half their attention is directed to her." "What is thought of Dr. Hudson's lady?" asked Dunbar. "I presume you know her." "Oh yes. And if she were my sister, I could not more highly esteem her. She is not so generally attractive as Mrs. Baldwin; but all who come near to her are won by the sweetness of her character, and charmed by the half-retiring grace of her manner. She is one in a thousand, and is so considered by all who know her. As for her husband, I consider him one of the most fortunate of men in having secured so loving and lovely a companion for his journey through life." The eyes of Dunbar turned, involuntarily, towards that part of the room where his wife sat, alone. One glance was sufficient. His gaze was quickly withdrawn. A sigh, but half repressed, struggled up from his bosom, and he turned away from the individual with whom he was conversing. He had already heard too much. What his thoughts were, it would be hard to tell. As he moved across the room, he encountered Dr. Hudson and his wife. The two men looked at each other for an instant, but did not speak. They had not met before for years.