“I spoke too soon and just frightened the shy darling, big, blundering fool that I was!” he thought, with keen humiliation, though he knew perfectly well that many a girl would have simply jumped at such a chance. But he had realized that Cinthia was not one of them, and made up his mind, if he ever met her again, to besiege her heart with the most chivalrous wooing that ever won a maiden. “Learn to win a lady’s faith Nobly, as the thing is high, Bravely, as for life or death With a loyal gravity. “Lead her from the festive boards, Point her to the starry skies, Guard her, by your truthful words, Free from courtship’s flatteries. “By your truth she shall be true. Ever true, as wives of yore; And her ‘Yes’ once said to you Shall be ‘Yes’ for evermore.” When the hope of his heart was suddenly realized by the appearance of Cinthia at the door of the summer-house, he fairly gasped with joy and surprise as he sprung to meet her, exclaiming: “Do my anxious eyes deceive me, or is it Miss Dawn?” “You are not mistaken,” she answered, coldly, turning her eyes from Arthur, whose presence she had acknowledged by a slight and formal bow, and giving Frederick Foster her hand. He clasped it eagerly, almost forgetting Madame Ray, who in her turn was greeting Arthur more cordially than Cinthia had done. For something in the woman’s deep nature was touched to sympathy by the secret suffering evinced by his deathly pale face and troubled eyes. She said, gently: “This is a surprise, Mr. Varian, meeting you here among the picturesque ruins of your old home.” “Yes,” he answered, huskily; and she saw that he also had received a great shock and was struggling for calmness. She continued, trying to place him at his ease by saying: “When our driver told us this morning to whom these picturesque ruins belonged, we were quite surprised, and took a fancy to explore them. I hope we are not intruding. Of course we were not aware that any member of the family was in the neighborhood.” “There is no intrusion. I will take pleasure in showing you around, Madame Ray,” he answered, in that deep musical voice that so charmed every hearer; adding: “My cousin and I only arrived last evening, and our stay will be short, only long enough to make arrangements for rebuilding Love’s Retreat.” “Ah!” she said, and the thought came to her that perhaps he was about to marry. Perhaps he read the thought, for he flushed slightly as he added: “My mother wishes it, as she is very fond of Lake Weir, and anxious to return to her old home. Fred and I are stopping at Weir Park Hotel. Have you been long in this neighborhood?” “Yes, for several months. You see, it is my home now. I inherited a little estate--Lodge Delight--from a deceased great-aunt.” “I knew your aunt well in my boyhood. She was a friend of my mother’s, and Lodge Delight is little short of fairy-land. You have Miss Dawn as a guest?”