If Lord Carrol suspected anything of the feeling which Ralph had entertained for Star, he gave no sign, but confided to him, as they sat there together, more of his hopes and plans for the future, and spoke with much more of freedom regarding Star than he had done the day before. When they had finished their cigars, Lord Carrol arose and said: “Come inside, Mr. Meredith, and I will show you one of my treasures.” He went back into his “sanctum,” followed by Ralph, and passing by all the beautiful paintings, drawings, and engravings which hung upon the walls, he walked to an easel which stood in a corner, and removing a cloth that covered it, stepped back for his friend to look. Ralph Meredith gave one look, and then exclaimed, in unfeigned surprise: “Star!” “Yes, it is Star,” Lord Carrol said, with a tender smile, as he looked upon the portrait. “I am glad you recognize her, for I should be sorry if she had changed so much that you could not. This is a picture which I love, and which I keep for myself alone. It is very seldom that I show it to any one, and I have never told its history to any living being until I told it to you last night. As she stood there that morning in her modest beauty, severing that tress at my request, I began to love her with a love that will never die while I live. I have that little lock of gold here now, Mr. Meredith,” he said, touching the diamond-studded locket which hung from his watch-chain, “and untold wealth could not purchase it from me. Here is the cameo also which I gave her in exchange, and of which I told you, too, last night,” and he held up his left hand, on the little finger of which gleamed the ring that Josephine Richards had made of it. “Ah,” he added, with a sigh, “it is hard to think that she could believe me so false—so treacherous and cowardly, as to win her love and then cast it aside as of no value.” “Yet it was very natural for her to think so under the circumstances,” Ralph returned, thoughtfully. “You must realize that yourself, for you say that on Saturday you declared your affection for her under the name of Archibald Sherbrooke, and won an expression of her own for you in return; while on the Monday following you appeared in Mr. Richards’ family as Lord Carrol, who, she had been told, was a suitor for his daughter’s hand. It does not seem strange to me that she should think the very worst of you. You certainly were in a false position before her, and it must have been a severe blow to her pride as well as to her affection; for, as we have seen, Miss Gladstone is not lacking either in self-respect or spirit.” “No, I suppose it is not strange; but, oh! if she would but have given me one minute, I could have convinced her of her mistake, and all the sorrow that has followed might have been avoided,” sighed the young lord, as, with another fond glance at the picture, he covered it again and turned away. “You will be more successful when you go to her again,” Ralph said, cheerfully.