"Yes, mistis," replied the negro with a curtsey.




CHAPTER THIRD.

MR. HORACE AWTRY.


Mr. Horace Awtry was a native of the State of New York, and was, at
the time of writing, about thirty-live years of age. He was a tall and
well-formed man, with light hair clustering in curls on a broad and
noble looking forehead; his features were well chiselled, and his
upper lip was ornamented with a mustache of the same color as his
hair. Notwithstanding his handsome features and extravagant display of
dress, there was an expression in his dark blue eyes, which, though
likely to captivate the young and innocent portion of the fair sex,
was not deemed elegant by those who are accustomed to read the
features of man. He was very wealthy, but was a perfect type of the
_roue_, although a good education and remarkable control of himself
rendered it difficult for his acquaintances to charge him with
dissipation, or any conduct unworthy of ft gentleman. As this
gentleman will occupy a somewhat conspicuous position in our tale, we
deem it necessary to go into these particulars.

Some seven years previous to her marriage, and while yet a child, Mrs.
Wentworth, with her father, the only surviving relative she had, spent
the summer at Saratoga Springs in the State of New York, and there met
Mr. Awtry, who was then a handsome and dashing young man. Struck by