“Oh, fie! Virgie, what a character to give your best friend; and to a stranger, too,” laughed Mr. Knight, good-humoredly; “but I confess I am a dear lover of whist, Mr. Hamilton, and”—with a quizical look at Virgie—“if you know the game, won’t you and your friend take a hand, after dinner, with me and my ward? My sister does not play.” “There! I told you so,” interposed the gay girl, with a ripple of silvery laughter. Rupert joined her heartily. “I thank you for your timely warning, Miss Alexander,” he said, “but I do understand the game and like it, too; but before I commit myself, won’t you tell me, please, is your friend a very formidable antagonist?” “Dreadful! he plays as if his life and honor depended upon his winning every game,” she answered, the dimples playing at hide and seek about her lovely mouth, while Rupert thought her the most delightful little body he had ever met. “Then perhaps you may know some of the weak points of the enemy, and will join me in besieging his fort after dinner,” he said, with an appealing glance. “Thank you; I will, with pleasure, Mr. Hamilton,” was the gay response; “it is not often that I play against him; but if I could see him beaten a few times, just to take some of what our Irish neighbors call ‘the consate’ out of him, I think I should rather enjoy it.” “Oh! the depravity of human nature!” cried Mr. Knight, in mock distress, though his eyes rested very tenderly upon the bright face beside him; “after sharing all my honors in the past, to forswear your allegiance like this! it is rank treason.” “Do not be disheartened, my dear guardian,” laughed Virgie, “for perhaps you have it in your power to punish me severely for my presumption in taking up arms against you; however, Mr. Hamilton, we will do our best to come off victorious.” When they returned to the palace car, Rupert introduced his friend, and then the quartet gave themselves up to the enjoyment of their cards, Miss Knight occupying a seat in another section, and burying herself in a book. They played for two or three hours, and to Miss Virgie’s great glee, she and her partner beat the others three games out of five. Mr. Knight accepted his defeat very good-naturedly, but declared that he would be even with them some other time, and then he fell into conversation with his new acquaintances upon the topics of the day, while Virgie sat by and listened, and studied the two young men in whose society she had been so unexpectedly thrown. Of course we all recognize in Mr. Knight the great publisher, who had been so kind to Mrs. Alexander, in San Francisco, during her many trials there. The beautiful girl who is traveling with him is her daughter, Virgie, who, when we last saw her at Niagara, was but ten years of age. She is now eighteen, and blossoming into lovely womanhood, and as charming and winsome a maiden as one could find, go the world over.