left a share of it to him. Not that he's ever bothered himself about it,
for he's rich,--a kind of Monte Cristo, you know,--with a gold mine and
an island off the coast, to say nothing of a whole county that he owns,
that is called after him, and millions of wild cattle that he rides
among and lassos! It's dreadfully hard to do. You know you take a long
rope with a slipknot, and you throw it around your head so, and"--

"Hark!" said Marie, with a dramatic start, and her finger on her small
mouth, "he comes!"

There was the clear roll of wheels along the smooth, frozen carriage
sweep towards the house, the sharp crisp click of hoofs on stone, the
opening of heavy doors, the sudden sparkling invasion of frigid air, the
uplifting of voices in greeting,--but all familiar! There were Gabriel
Lane's cheery, hopeful tones, the soprano of Cousin Jane and Cousin
Emma, the baritone of Mr. Gunn, and the grave measured oratorical
utterance of Parson Dexter, who had joined the party at the station; but
certainly the accents of no STRANGER. Had he come? Yes, for his name
was just then called, and the quick ear of Marie had detected a light,
lounging, alien footstep cross the cold strip of marble vestibule. The
two girls exchanged a rapid glance; each looked into the mirror, and
then interrogatively at the other, nodded their heads affirmatively, and
descended to the drawing-room. A group had already drawn round the fire,
and a small central figure, who, with its back turned towards them,
was still enwrapped in an enormous overcoat of rich fur, was engaged in
presenting an alternate small varnished leather boot to the warmth of
the grate. As they entered the room the heavy fur was yielded up with
apparent reluctance, and revealed to the astonished girls a man of
ordinary stature with a slight and elegant figure set off by a traveling
suit of irreproachable cut. His light reddish-yellow hair, mustache,