looked at her with plainly evinced admiration in his fleeting
glance,--and she watched him talking to several people who all
seemed delighted and flattered by his notice--then he disappeared.
Later on in the evening she asked her host who he was. The famous
R.A. considered for a moment.

"Do you mean a man with rough dark hair and a youngish face?--
rather good-looking in an eccentric sort of way?"

Innocent nodded eagerly.

"Yes! And he had blue eyes."

"Had he, really!" And the great artist smiled. "Well, I'm sure he
would be flattered at your close observation of him! I think I
know him,--that is, I know him as much as he will let anybody know
him--he is a curious fellow, but a magnificent painter--a real
genius! He's half French by descent, and his name is Jocelyn,--
Amadis de Jocelyn."

For a moment the room went round in a giddy whirl of colour before
her eyes,--she could not credit her own hearing. Amadis de
Jocelyn!--the name of her old stone Knight of France, on his tomb
at Briar Farm, with his motto--"Mon coeur me soutien!"

"Amadis de Jocelyn!" she repeated, falteringly ... "Are you
sure? ... I mean ... is that his name really? ... it's so unusual...
so curious..."

"Yes--it IS curious"--agreed her host--"but it's quite a good old