Dallas Bain watched with straining gaze that scene within Mrs. Fleming’s brilliant drawing-room, and his heart was wrung with a pain more bitter than death. The vague belief and hope that had brought him back to Gull Beach were dashed to earth now, and despair reigned in its stead. She had not loved him, after all; she had but played on his credulity to gratify a coquette’s vanity. The proof was here before him as she stood there all in bridal white, speaking the solemn words that bound her for aye to another. “Fool that I was to return,” he muttered, in fierce self-scorn; and just then he caught a flutter of drapery near him, and a shrill voice giggled: “La, me! if this ain’t Mr. Bain come back again! Howdydo, sir? Looking at the play, are you? But it does seem awful real like, don’t it? They got their parts well, certain! He’s even putting the ring on her hand, and now the women are kissing the bride. Ha! ha!” Dallas grasped Letty Green’s arms so convulsively that she winced with the pain. “Ouch! don’t pinch so! What have I done?” He muttered fiercely, like one beside himself. “What does this mean? Is it a play, as you said, or a horrible reality?” Letty giggled, shook her flounces, and twittered: “Oh, it’s a play, sir, of course, and they’ve been practicing on it for a week. Though, for certain, them two principals are engaged; but I don’t think the wedding day is set. ’Tis whispered they have quarreled, and Miss Bell won’t wear his ring; but my mistress says ’tisn’t true at all. But, la, sir, what are you doing out here peeking through the window like us servants? Why don’t you go into the drawing-room along with the quality?” “I don’t care to go in yet, Letty. I just came unexpectedly, and I want to look on for a while unseen,” returned Dallas, with a long sigh of relief as he glued his face to the window and watched the scene within, singling out the beautiful form of Daisie with renewed hope and love. He murmured exultantly: “So they have quarreled? About me, of course. She is true, after all, my own sweet love! Ah! what a weight of woe is lifted from my breast! Oh, I must manage to see her presently, and beg her to forgive me for my rash flight, jealous fool that I was! As for Royall, I am not sorry for him, since he acted in a mean, underhand way to gain her love. Well, he had his day, and failed; now comes mine.” Meanwhile, Letty was watching him with some compunction, owing to a guilty conscience. Her first womanly pity for Annette had prompted her to mail to Dallas the letter she had stolen from the young girl’s pocket, but on trying to get the address from Mrs. Fleming, the latter’s suspicions had been aroused, and she had persecuted Letty till she found out everything. This done, she exchanged a gold piece with the covetous maid for poor Daisie’s love letter. “However,” thought Letty, “there’s no harm done, for I can tell him all about his pretty sweetheart, and maybe his cruel heart will turn back to her again.”