It was the same, nevertheless, she felt convinced, and she resolved that she would find Archie, point Miss Gladstone out to him, and ascertain if she were right in her surmises. “Perhaps,” she thought, light suddenly breaking in upon her mind, “it was something connected with this lovely stranger which had caused his own sadness during the last year.” A gentleman approached her just then, and, turning to Star, she said, with a smile: “I must ask to be excused, as I have an engagement to dance now. I am sorry to leave you in the midst of our pleasant chat, but I will see you again before the evening is out.” Star, with an answering smile, said she “hoped they would meet again;” but, oh! how she longed to inquire about her brother. If she had but spoken just one word to tell her that he was well and happy. Happy! The thought nearly made her cry out with pain. He must be changed indeed if he could be that with Josephine Richards; and, loving him as she did, it was agony to contemplate it. What if he himself was there among that gay throng, with the bride he had so lately wedded? What if she were to meet them together? For a moment, as this contingency presented itself to her, her brain reeled, and she felt as if her senses were forsaking her again; the next, she called all her pride to her aid. This would never do; no one must ever mistrust her weakness and wretchedness, and Ralph Meredith surely would if she gave up to her feelings, for had she not told him of her false lover? It was strange, she thought, that she should have found him with Archie’s sister, and she wondered if they had met and Ralph had called him to account for his treatment of her, as he had said he should. Oh! why had she not been more reasonable? Why did she not let him explain his position to her when he had begged so earnestly to do so? She felt as if she could not bear to remain there—she longed to go away by herself until she could get a little more calm; and, seeing that Mr. Rosevelt and Ralph were deeply engaged in conversation, she slipped away unobserved to a small anteroom, which connected the drawing-room with the conservatory, and which she saw was at that moment empty. Here she sat down in a chair near a large urn filled with flowers, which stood on one side of the door leading into the conservatory, and fell to musing sadly upon her broken hopes. She had not been there long when she was aroused by hearing a gay laugh ring out close at hand. She started as if some viper had stung her. She knew that sound but too well, and, looking up, she saw Josephine Richards, or Lady Carrol, as she believed her to be, standing almost beside her. She was just upon the threshold and was looking back into the conservatory, from which she had come, and at a couple standing there among the flowers. She had been exchanging some jesting words with them, and her laugh was in reply to some playful remark from them.