"You good people will smother me with sweets and perfumes," she protested, touching her cheek with the beautiful flower; then, as she was about to smell it, they were astonished to see it flung from her with a faint cry, followed by a little laugh at the consternation of the party. "How unpardonable that I discover a worm at the heart of your first friendly offering to me, Mr. Loring;" and her tones were almost caressing as she smiled at him; "the poor, pretty blossom, so lovely, and so helpless in the grasp of its enemy, the worm." Pluto had entered with a pitcher of water which he placed on the stand. He had witnessed the episode of the rose, and picked it up from where it had been tossed. "Margeret told me to see if you wanted anything, Mr. Loring," he said, gently, and Mr. Loring's answer was decided, brusque and natural. "Yes, I do; I want to go to my room; get my stick. Mistress McVeigh, if you have no objection to me breaking up your party, I would like to have Judge Clarkson go along; we must settle these business matters while I am able." "At your service, sir, with your permission, Madame," and the Judge glanced at Mrs. McVeigh, who telegraphed a most willing consent as she passed out on the veranda after Evilena and Delaven. Judithe stood by the little side table, slowly pulling off her gauntlets, when she was aware that the colored man Pluto was regarding her curiously, and she perceived the reason. He had looked into the heart of the rose, and on the floor where it had fallen, and had found no living thing to cause her dread of the blossom. He dropped his eyes when she looked at him, and just then a bit of conversation came to him as the Judge offered his arm to Loring and assisted him to rise. "I certainly am pleased that you feel like looking into the business matters," Clarkson was saying, "and the Rhoda Larue settlement cannot be postponed any longer; Colonel McVeigh may be back any time now, and we must be ready to settle with him." Loring made some grumbling remark in which "five thousand dollars" was the only distinguishable thing, and then they passed out, and Pluto followed, leaving the Marquise alone, staring out of the window with a curious smile; she drew a deep breath of relief as the door closed. CHAPTER XX. Mrs. McVeigh entered the sitting room some time after and was astonished to find her still there and alone. "Why, Judithe, I fancied you had gone to change your habit ages ago, and here you are, plunged in a brown study." "No--a blue and green one," was the smiling response. "Have you ever observed what a paintable view there is from this point? It would be a gem on canvas; oh, for the talent of our Dumaresque!" "Your Dumaresque," corrected Mrs. McVeigh. "I never can forgive you, quite, for sending him away; oh, Helene wrote me all about it--and he _was_ such a fine fellow."