“The situation is somewhat unpleasant for you, I admit, my young friend, but I think it may be easily made right. I must confess I am much surprised by what you have told me; the story is certainly romantic in every respect. And you met the young lady by accident to-night? She is, then, a resident of Yonkers. Who may she be? Perhaps she is no one whom I know.” “She is Miss Gladstone, and your wife’s ward, I believe,” Lord Carrol replied, and bending a grave look upon his host. Mr. Richards nearly bounded from the piano stool upon which he had been sitting at this startling intelligence, while outside that open window there was a sound as of some one weakly sinking into a chair. But both gentlemen were so deeply engaged in the subject under consideration that they did not appear to hear it. “Star!” ejaculated Mr. Richards, when he could recover his breath. “Yes, sir; Miss Star Gladstone is the lady of whom I have told you,” Lord Carrol replied, somewhat coldly, for he could not understand why any one so lovely and accomplished in every way as Star was should have been so slighted and ill-treated in his family. “But I do not understand—I cannot see—I—I beg pardon; but, to tell the truth, I am completely taken aback by what you have told me,” Mr. Richards stammered, for it was to him a most astounding revelation. “I expected that my communication would surprise you; but you cannot be more so than I was upon learning to-night that Miss Gladstone is a member of your family,” returned his lordship. “But you tell me that you were intending to call upon her friends to-morrow, and here you have been in the same house a day and a night already.” “True; but I was not aware of the fact until within the last hour. Miss Gladstone gave me her address last Saturday evening. Here it is; you can read it. It was late when I asked for it, and she wrote it hastily upon this card.” The young man passed it to his companion as he spoke, and Mr. Richards read the street and number of his own residence. “You will remember,” Lord Carrol continued, “that I am an entire stranger in this place, and that I do not even know the name of the street upon which you reside, as Mrs. Richards was kind enough to say that some one should meet me at the station upon my arrival. I wished very much to go to Star to-day, but courtesy demanded that I should not disarrange Mrs. Richards’ plans. I fully intended, however, to ask you to direct me to the place designated on that card to-morrow, never once suspecting that I was already in the house where the lady of my choice resides.” “And has Star never mentioned our name to you?” Mr. Richards asked. “No; she has been very reticent regarding everything connected with herself save her studies and her music, and I have not thought to question her on that point.” Mr. Richards’ face clouded. Star had good cause for being reticent, he knew, and the subject was becoming an awkward one for him.