handsome woman so beautiful as at the present moment. The eyes
looking into his with such depth of meaning, - the expression, the
attitude, - all were utterly unlike anything which he had ever seen;
but his face grew only the more stern, for the thought then and
there occurred to him that perhaps here was the solution of the
mysterious power which this woman had wielded over the man whose
lifeless form was now lying in their presence.

He observed that the luminous eyes grew suddenly cold, while her
head assumed its usual haughty poise; the brief spell was over, and
each understood the other.

After a few general directions, Mr. Whitney remarked, "This day's
events will be far different from what we had anticipated."

"Yes," she replied, with a mocking smile, "in that it brings to the
guests of this house, instead of future expectations, the immediate
realization of their wishes!"

"It is not to be conceived for one moment that any of them take that
view of what has occurred," he replied, in a tone of displeasure.

"Possibly not," she rejoined, "although the prospective long life
of their host seemed to greatly detract, at least in the case of one
of their number, from their enjoyment of the occasion which they had
come to celebrate."

"To whom do you refer?" he inquired.

"It is unnecessary to give names," she answered, coldly; "but had