A Lost Leader

n she watched the man, who was already upon the pavement looking up and down the street for a hanso

touched the keys idly. In a few moments what she had

en skirts, and an overwhelming odour of the latest Bond Street perfume. She f

elieve it when Mary brought me his card. By the bye, where is Mary? I want her to

ered. "So that was Sir Leslie Borrowdean, mot

s very sweet of him. It seems all the more remarkable when one considers th

meet him first?

and Lena Roberts told me that she heard him inquiring who I was directly we came into the room

sorbed in some trifling defect of

uestions about Mr. Mannering,

e repeated, with raised eyebrows. "Wh

om the table by her side, and

d," she repeated. "Why do y

rl hes

ant to know, mot

cour

ir Leslie Borrowdean was a friend of yours. I fancy that they are polit

laid down the mi

especially since he went and buried himself in the country. How pale you are looking, child. Why don't you go and ta

, "and I am not in the least tired. Tell me, are yo

thed her hair once more, wi

g," she announced. "Why on earth are you looking at me like that, child? You're always grumblin

er feet. The trouble in

ere not going. I wish that you would have noth

not?" the woman exclaim

u can tell him-something he wants to know about Mr. Mannering,"

As though he couldn't ask me for the sake of my company. And if he does ask me questions, I'm no

pulous," the girl answered. "I wish you weren't g

more frowne

as never betrayed the least curiosity about Mr. Mannering, and I don't believe that he's any such idea in his head. Upon my word I don't see why you should think it impossibl

Sir Leslie is that

t," was the sharp response. "Ring the bell, pl

en, mother?" she asked, cross

s to ask me. Now don't upset me, please. I want to look my be

r. She unfolded a sheet of copy, an

ther, I suppose you will go," she

re shrugged h

myself at once. Can't you understand, Hester?" she added, with a sudden change of manner,

ronting a mirror. She caught a momentary impressio

of forgetting," she mu

laughed s

" she said, "let me choose

Negatively her face was not ill-pleasing, but her figure was angular, and her complexion almost an?mic. The woman on the couch represented other things. She was tastefully, though somewhat elaborately dressed

re one of the freaks of heredity. I'm perfectly

the gi

oman

why you stay with me. I wonder you don't go and make a home for yourself somewhere. I know that you hate all the

he first time I have ever made a remark about any-of your friends. To-night I cannot help it. Sir Leslie Borrowdean is Mr. Mannering'

You littl

"He is a very clever man, and he has been a lawyer. That so

hy do you try to make me so uncomfortable, Hester? Sir Les

der the delicate coating of r

everything, Hester. Of course Lena and Billy Aswell and Rothe and all of them are all right, but they are just a little-well, you would call it

bent over

There's Mary stamping on the floor.

Her face was wreathed in smiles, and she possessed the good conscience and light heart of a woman who feels that she has made a successful toilette. All the vague misgivings of a short while ago had vanished. She gave her hair a final touch in the side window of the carriage as she drove off, and quite forgot to wave her hand to Hester, who

eam of light, Hester, still wearing her plain black gown, stood and looked at him. His careless words of explanation died away upon his lips. The fire which flashed from her hollow eyes seemed to wither up the very sources of speech within him. The half lights were kind to her. He saw nothing of the hollow che

g to look away from her, "is-a li

Before he could reach her side she was tu

, through the windo

in some disorder, and her cheeks no longer preserved that even colouring which is a result of the artistic use of the rouge-po

helped her into the house and into an easy-chair, where she promptly turned her face towar

cannot tell you how sorry I am

r feet. Sir Leslie never quite forgot her gesture as she motioned him to

m af

urned and left the room and the house. Without any change in her tense expression she waited unti