“I have never seen you before,” cried Aline. “How do you know these things which you assert?” He smiled. Aline could find no fault with that smile. It was so kind and reassuring. He answered, pleasantly: “You have never seen me, Miss Aline, because I wore a mask when I dressed your wound that night. But I remember your face distinctly.” He turned to Mr. Rodney. “May I tell her the story of that night?” he asked. Mr. Rodney answered, “Yes.” Aline lay listening silently, with dilated eyes, to his strange story. “I was full of sympathy for you,” he said. “I felt quite sure that there was something wrong. I did not like the strangeness of it all. I have tried again and again to find your strange prison, that I might rescue you from your bondage. I have been your friend ever since that night. If any one has maltreated you, Miss Aline--if you have been detained in that strange house against your will, tell me where to find the wretch, and I will punish him for you.” “You are very kind, but I have nothing to say,” Aline answered, in a low voice of unconscious regret. He looked at her in surprise. “Do you mean to make a secret of it?” he asked her, in his clear, frank way. “Yes,” she answered, calmly, and looking straight into his face with her blue, resolute eyes. “But, my dear young lady, why should you do that?” he said, perplexed. “That is my own affair,” she answered, with something of her old imperious temper ringing in her voice. “My business cannot concern you--a stranger. I consider that you are talking to me in a very impertinent fashion.” Mr. Rodney put his hand hastily over the willful red lips. “Your temper is not improved by your sojourn away from us,” he said, in a tone of marked displeasure. “Listen, Aline; this gentleman is not to be treated as a stranger by you. He is a valued friend, and, moreover, he is engaged to your sister Effie. He will be your brother, but I hope you will never cause him as much anxiety as you have done the rest of us.” Aline put out her white hand frankly to the doctor. “I congratulate you,” she said. “Effie is the dearest girl in the world!” “So I think,” said Dr. Anthony, frankly; adding, gayly, “I think a great deal of you, too, Miss Aline, since but for you I might never have seen your sister!” They all laughed. Aline made up her mind that he would be a charming brother-in-law. “I should say that my running away has proved quite advantageous to the family,” said she archly, as she kissed the blushing Effie. She thought that every one would agree with her. She could not understand why they all looked so grave. She had been brought up so simply and innocently in this quiet country town she had no knowledge of evil. “Why do you all look so grave?” said she, pettishly. “If you aren’t glad to see me, perhaps I had better go back where I came from.” “Where _did_ you come from, Aline?” exclaimed her father.