Her voice, exquisitely sweet as she began, gained in expression and power, until she sang as she had never sung before; and as the last notes died away, Houston, bending his head low, whispered to Miss Gladden: "Leslie, my dear, do you think now that Lyle's heart is not susceptible? She never could sing that song in that way if she knew nothing of love." And Miss Gladden made no reply, for her own heart was too full for words. The song was ended, and Lyle's eyes suddenly met the dark ones fixed upon her face, and though no words were spoken, she read in their depths that hers was not the only heart to which love had come. CHAPTER XXXVIII. That night the diminutive lamp that did duty in the room assigned to the two brothers burned till long past the hour of midnight. By its dim light, Ned Rutherford indited a letter to his fiancee, while his brother quietly paced back and forth, the entire length of the small apartment, his hands clasped behind him and his head thrown back,--his usual attitude when in deep thought. "Getting up another article on the application of electric force?" inquired Ned, as he paused to watch his brother. "No," was the reply, "I am thinking at present of a force far more subtle and more powerful than that of electricity." "Why, how's that?" asked Ned in surprise, "I thought electricity was one of your pet hobbies." "Never mind about my pet hobbies," said his brother, with a smile, "just continue your writing for the present." Half an hour later, as Ned folded and sealed the voluminous letter, and placed upon it the long, foreign address, his brother, watching him with a curious half smile, said: "I shall have to give you credit for a great deal of constancy, Ned, more than I really supposed you possessed." "How's that?" asked Ned, with a slight blush, "to what do you refer." "To your fidelity to your affianced," Morton replied, "under the rather adverse circumstances that attend your suit, and notwithstanding the unusual attractions by which you have been surrounded here." "Well, as to that," said Ned, slowly, "I don't know as I deserve so very much credit. Houston appropriated Miss Gladden to himself pretty soon after we came here, and besides, she isn't exactly my style, after all; she would suit Houston a great deal better than me." "Ah," said his brother, quietly, "and what of the younger lady? Perhaps she is not your style, either?" "Well, no, I should say not," Ned replied, with the least perceptible scorn in his tone, "not but what she is a lovely girl, and I respect her, and feel sorry for her, but I should think one glimpse of her family would decide that question, once for all." "Ned," said Morton Rutherford, pausing in his walk, directly in front of his brother, "is it possible that you are so blind as not to see that Miss Maverick, as you call her,--I prefer to call her Lyle,--has no connection whatever with the family in which she lives?"