Milly laughed, shook her head, and busied herself with threading a needle. "My future husband," said she slowly; "h'm! perhaps I won't marry him after all." "Then you intend to accept Mr. Lovel?" "No, I intend to do nothing. But Gran Jimboy read my hand this afternoon, and she prophesied that I should marry neither." "What do you mean?" asked Iris sharply. "Have you a third admirer?" "According to gran I have," said Milly with a shiver; "the third admirer is Death, my dear. I am to be--murdered!" Iris rose so quickly that her work rolled on to the floor. She looked at Milly in a scared sort of way. "Are you out of your mind?" she said nervously. "No; I'm only telling you what Gran Jimboy read in my hand. But I don't believe in palmistry; do you, Iris?" "No, I don't," said Miss Link contemptuously. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, letting Gran Jimboy play on your fears. Did she say you would die?" "Yes; that I should be murdered. Ugh!" and Milly shivered again. "You don't believe such rubbish?" Miss Lester jumped up and threw the hat she had been trimming on the sofa. "I don't know," she said, pacing to and fro. "Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't. I wish you would not talk of death! I hate it!" Then, after a pause, "I'm going to bed," said she. Iris arrested her at the door. "Milly, do be sensible, and give up these wild ideas." "Mr. Lovel, I suppose?" "Yes; don't flirt with him any more, and I'll not tell Dr. Lester." "You can do as you please!" returned Milly loftily. "I'm doing no harm, and I'll talk to Lucas as much as I please!" "Lucas! You call him by his first name?" "When I wish to be nice, I do," replied the girl provokingly; "and he calls me by mine." "Milly, you are ruining your life!" said Iris in despair. "Ah, well; what of it? It's going to be a short one--according to Gran Jimboy," and before her sister could make a further remark Milly ran out of the room, with a nervous laugh. Iris resumed her seat, and again devoted herself to work, but her thoughts were busy with the ill-disciplined mind of her companion.