"You say nothing, Mistress Royal," said Waldo; "but it may be you've
heard it before, since you and Mistress Eveleigh are in the same house."

"Yes," she answered, "I have heard it before." She moved her head
quickly as she spoke, and as the moonlight struck her face, Archdale
fancied that he saw a moist brightness in her eyes. But certainly no
tear fell, and when the next moment Katie declared it Elizabeth's turn
for a story, she told some trifling anecdote that had in it neither
sentiment nor heroism. It was laughable though, and was about to receive
its deserts of praise when at Archdale's first word Elizabeth cried,
eagerly:--

"Don't, please. It was not worth telling; only I could remember nothing
else."

At this entreaty Harwin stared at her, and his lip curled disdainfully
under the hand that partially covered his face. "Have you so much wealth
of fascination, young lady," his thoughts ran, "that you can afford to
scatter your coins in this way? I rather think not." His eyes rested
upon her for a moment as she sat looking at Katie Archdale, and the
scorn of his mouth deepened. "Admiration of one woman for another," he
commented. "Pshaw! the girl lavishes everything; she will soon be
bankrupt. She is drinking in the intoxication of Katie's beauty just
as--no, not like me, of course. If ever there could be excuse for such a
thing it would be here, for Katie is bewitching, she is perfect;
affectionate, too, but with no nonsense about _her_. She reserves her
admiration for--for whom does she reserve it? For the proud young nabob
beside her, or for the good-humored little coxcomb over here? It shall
be for neither; it shall be for me. I, too, can be fascinating when I