of it many times, this is the original painting by Lely. It came here--I
mean to the Colonies--by one of those mistakes that one member of a
family sometimes, perpetrates upon the others. How it ever got behind
this hanging it is out of my province to tell. I yield the field to
Colonel Archdale."

"I know nothing of it," said that gentleman. "The house was built when I
was a child. It was one of the preparations for my father's second
marriage. The tapestry is an heirloom; it is so old that I am always
afraid of its tearing, and it is never taken from the wall. My house is
at the disposal of my guests, to be sure, but none of them could have
destroyed anything else that I should have felt the injury to so
keenly."

"It was not willingly done," returned Edmonson, "it was by the impulse
of fate. As to the picture, it does not seem strange that we expect
Colonel Archdale to know whom his own family portraits represent."

"It may not seem strange, but it is not unprecedented to be ignorant,"
answered his host. "My father must have known, but in obeying his
injunctions as to care of the tapestry I had no idea that I was keeping
anything but bare walls from view. Even these antlers are fastened to a
great nail in one of the beams. I remember it since I was a child. The
hanging was fitted over it, and I was glad when it was put to use in
this way."

"Yes, no doubt he could tell us about the portrait if we could only get
at him," returned Edmonson coming back to his subject. "But as to who
the gentleman is, and why you have flattered me so far as to be able to
discover any likeness between us, I owe you all an explanation. And