an hour or more thus engaged Miss Simpkins was congratulated on her
run of good luck; and Mr. Tracy, to show his appreciation of her
ability, turned out some pretty compliments.

"Where is Mr. Arnold to-night, Mr. Tracy?" asked one of the guests,
as the party stood in the hall making their adieux to the hostess.

"I cannot say," replied the young man, tugging at his great coat
with more vehemence than was necessary, but affording relief to hide
this oracular reply.

"Oh! you need not ask that question," exclaimed a voice near; "we
all know that he is at 'Sunnybank,' paying his devoirs to the
peerless Evelyn." The speaker was a young lady, and the tone of this
speech intimated that jealousy was at the bottom of it. But there
was another side to the story. Turning to Hubert Tracy, with an air
of playful badinage, the young lady continued: "And I believe that
Miss Marguerite has a lover too. Surely, Mr. Tracy, you must know
about it for you are on intimate terms with the family. You can
enlighten us upon the subject."

Hubert Tracy was master of his feelings, but he had difficulty to
suppress himself. An opportune bustle among some of the other guests
gave him time to reply in a cool and wholly indifferent manner which
would turn their attention to another source.

It was only when this would-be suitor had thrown off the mask of
studied indifference that he began to realize the state of his mind.

"It will never be," he cried, in a fit, half-anger, half-emotional,