Poor Mona’s powers of endurance were tried to the utmost by this thrust, and she longed to proclaim, there and then, that she knew it—­that she was the young man’s promised wife.

But the time for such an avowal was not yet ripe; a few weeks longer, if she could have patience, and then she hoped there would be no occasion for further secrecy.

She put a strong curb upon herself, and simply bowed to show that she had heard and understood Mrs. Montague’s statement.

The effort, however, drove every atom of color from her face, and seeing this, Mrs. Montague believed that she had planted a sharp thorn in her bosom.

She did not wish to antagonize her, however, and she was almost sorry that she had said so much; but she was a creature of impulse when her will was thwarted, and did not always stop to choose her words.

She had, for certain reasons, yielded her objections to Louis marrying her, and now this unexpected opposition on Mona’s part only served to make her determined to carry the point, for the sake of conquering her, if for no other.

“Well, we will not quarrel over the matter, Ruth,” she said, in a conciliatory tone.  “Of course I have no right to coerce you in such a matter, and you are too useful to me to be driven away by contesting the point.  So we will drop the subject; and now if you will take this memorandum and go about the shopping I shall be obliged to you.  I shall need all my strength for this evening, because I am to have a large company to entertain, and—­”

She abruptly paused, and seemed a trifle confused for a moment.  Then she asked, with unusual consideration: 

“Shall I send you in the carriage?”

“No, I should prefer to take a car down town and then walk about to the different stores.  I sit so much I shall be glad of the exercise,” Mona replied, as she turned to leave the room, but wondering what Mrs. Montague had been going to add when she stopped so suddenly.

CHAPTER VI.

RAY MAKES AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.

Mona hastened to her own chamber, after leaving Mrs. Montague, where she hastily exchanged her house dress for a street costume, and then started out upon her errands.

She had a great deal to think of in connection with her recent conversation with Mrs. Montague, but, although much had been said that had annoyed her greatly, on the whole she had been inspired with fresh hope that the mystery enshrouding her mother’s life would eventually be solved.

She therefore quickly recovered her spirits, and her face was bright and animated as she tripped away to catch the car at the corner of the street.

She had several errands to do, and she very much enjoyed the freedom of running about to the different stores, to buy the pretty things regarding which Mrs. Montague had discovered she possessed excellent taste and judgment.