“She told me so herself! but she must have found another somewhere, or they could not come here in this style.” “Perhaps she has married again,” suggested Lady Royalston. “No, indeed. Don’t you understand? She still retains her maiden name, with simply the ‘Mrs.’ added. I must find out more about them. I will pump Lady Huntington again before we leave,” Mrs. Farnum concluded, rather inelegantly. She was as good as her word, but all that she could learn was that Mrs. Alexander had come abroad for her health—that she and her daughter were traveling alone. Lady Huntington believed she was a widow, but judged she must have lost her husband many years ago, since she never mentioned him, and wore no weeds. She said she was not able to go much into society, being still something of an invalid, although much better than before her voyage. This was not very satisfactory to Mrs. Farnum, and she felt very uneasy. “I must see the woman for myself,” she told her daughter. “I should know her at once, and I shall not rest until I do. I sincerely wish we had never meddled with that wretched business.” “I wish so, too,” sighed Lady Royalston, but it was more for her mother’s sake than her own, for, as we know, her sympathies had been with the poor young wife when they were together in New York. But Virgie, all unconscious of the anxiety which her presence had created, was enjoying herself exceedingly. She attracted a great deal of attention, and was soon surrounded by a group of admirers who vied with each other in doing homage to the lovely young American, while the Misses Huntington appeared to enjoy her conquests as if they were themselves the recipients of similar honors. But, in the midst of her triumphs, Virgie chanced to glance toward the entrance to the drawing-room and saw standing there a figure that sent all the blood tingling to her finger-tips; and, as she met the eyes that were fixed so admiringly upon her, her own sent back a responsive glance which made Rupert Hamilton forget that there was anyone else in the room and start forward to greet her, regardless of the charmed circle about her which he must pass. “Miss Alexander!” he said, in a low, earnest tone, “I did not anticipate this pleasure when I came hither to-night.” “And you are a surprise to me,” Virgie answered, blushing slightly. “I did not know that you were in town. Have you been well since we parted?” “Very; and I do not need to ask if you fully recovered from the effects of your voyage,” he returned, with a glance that made her pulses leap. “I am, indeed, very well,” she said, “and mamma is also very much improved, although she does not feel quite equal to society yet. Did you find your friends well?” “Yes, thank you,” Rupert answered, but his face fell at the question, for it brought Lillian so forcibly to his mind. She had betrayed so much joy upon his return that he had been painfully embarrassed and distressed upon her account.