He saw the passionate love that she had for her foster-child; he saw that it was a mother's love, tender, true, devoted and self-sacrificing, though mistaken. He could not be angry, for he saw that her sorrow even exceeded his own. To his infinite joy, Madaline presently opened her dark eyes and looked up at him. She stretched out her hands to him. "My father," she said--"you are really my father?" He kissed her face. "Madaline," he replied, "my heart is too full for words. I have spent seventeen years in looking for you, and have found you at last. My dear child, we have seventeen years of love and happiness to make up." "It seems like an exquisite dream," she said. "Can it be true?" He saw her lovely face grow crimson, and bending her fair, shapely head, she whispered: "Papa, does Lord Arleigh know?" "Lord Arleigh!" he repeated. "My dear child, this is the second time you have mentioned him. What has he to do with you?" She looked up at him in wonder. "Do you not know?" she asked. "Have they not told you I am Lord Arleigh's wife?" * * * * * Lord Arleigh felt very disconsolate that June morning. The world was so beautiful, so bright, so fair, it seemed hard that he should have no pleasure in it. If fate had but been kinder to him! To increase his dullness, Lord Mountdean, who had been staying with him some days, had suddenly disappeared. He had gone out early in the morning, saying that he would have a long ramble in the woods, and would probably not return until noon for luncheon. Noon had come and passed, luncheon was served, yet there was no sign of the earl, Lord Arleigh was not uneasy, but he longed for his friend's society. At last he decided upon going in search of him. He had perhaps lost his way in the woods, or he had mistaken some road. It was high time that they looked after him--he had been so many hours absent without apparent cause. Lord Arleigh whistled for his two favorite dogs, Nero and Venus, and started out in search of his friend. He went through the woods and down the high-road, but there was no sign of the earl. "He must have walked home by another route," thought Lord Arleigh; and he went back to Beechgrove. He did not find the earl there, but the groom, who had evidently been riding fast, was waiting for him in the hall. "My lord," he said, "I was directed to give you this at once, and beg of you not to lose a moment's time." Wondering what had happened, Lord Arleigh opened the note and read: "My Dear Lord Arleigh: Something too wonderful for me to set down in words has happened. I am at the Dower House, Winiston. Come at once, and lose no time. Mountdean." "At the Dower House?" mused Lord Arleigh. "What can it mean?" "Did the Earl of Mountdean send this himself?" he said to the man. "Yes, my lord. He bade me ride as though for life, and ask your lordship to hurry in the same way." "Is he hurt? Has there been any accident?"