She was looking very lovely—so lovely, indeed, that her ladyship marveled at her beauty. She wore a black silk dress, simply made, but of richest texture, an elegant mantle of black velvet heavily trimmed with jet, a bonnet of the same material, relieved by three graceful ostrich tips of cream-white; and the dainty affair was bewitchingly becoming; her hands were faultlessly gloved, and a single half-blown Lamargue rose had been drawn into one of the fastenings of her mantle, its pale yellow petals nestling lovingly among the rich folds of velvet. There was the daintiest bloom on her cheeks, her eyes were bright, her whole face animated, and she was a woman to attract admiring attention wherever she went. Lady Linton congratulated herself that her brother was far from London, for she well knew that it would need but one glance at this beautiful picture to bring him a hopeless captive to her feet once more. Mrs. Alexander slightly raised her brows at her ladyship’s abrupt manner of address, bowed politely, and would have passed on, but the other laid a detaining hand upon her arm, and drew her into a little vestibule just inside the door. “I want to speak to you,” she said, authoritatively. “Certainly; I am at your service, Lady Linton,” was the quiet, lady-like reply, and Virgie’s full, blue eyes looked calmly down upon the sallow countenance before her, as she waited to learn why she had been so unceremoniously detained. “Why have you come to London?” Lady Linton inquired, brusquely. Mrs. Alexander drew herself up a trifle, and hesitated a moment before replying; then she said, gravely: “Partly upon business; partly for health.” “Health!” scornfully repeated Lady Linton, with a quick upward glance into that beautiful, blooming face. A musical laugh rippled over Mrs. Alexander’s lips, and she flushed an exquisite color; for both glance and emphasis, although not so intended, were a marked compliment to her appearance. “You think I do not need to go anywhere in search of health,” she observed. “That is true, just now, although I was far from well when I left America.” “What is your ‘business’ here?” demanded her companion, ignoring her reply. “Really, Lady Linton,” Mrs. Alexander returned, coldly, “I do not know as I feel obliged to explain that to you just yet.” “Just yet!” repeated the other, with a sudden heart-bound. “What am I to understand by that?” “Just what you choose, Lady Linton.” “Is your ‘business’ connected in any way with that threat which you made in my presence more than eight years ago?” “Ah! then you have not forgotten what happened more than eight years ago?” Lady Linton colored angrily. “I could almost wish that I had died then, rather than that you should have saved me!” she said, passionately. “Why?” Gravely, almost solemnly, the brief inquiry was made. “Because I hate you! You came between me and some of my brightest hopes. Because you——”