Of all those who stood by her Arthur Merlin was the only one who knew that she had ever known Abel, and Arthur only inferred it from Abel’s resemblance to the sketch of Manfred, which had evidently deeply affected Hope.  Lawrence Newt, who knew Delafield, had wondered if Abel and Hope had ever met.  Perhaps he had a little fear of their meeting, knowing Abel to be audacious and brilliant, and Hope to be romantic.  Perhaps the anxiety with which he now looked upon the waltz arose from the apprehension that Hope could not help, at least, fancying such a handsome fellow.  And then—­what?

Amy Waring certainly did not know, although Lawrence Newt’s eyes seemed to ask hers the question.

Hope heard the music, and her heart beat time.  As she saw Abel and remembered the days that were no more, for a moment her cheek flushed—­not tumultuously, but gently—­and Lawrence Newt and the painter remarked it.  The emotion passed, almost imperceptibly, and her eyes followed the dancers calmly, with only a little ache in the heart—­with only a vague feeling that she had lived a long, long time.

Abel Newt had not lost Hope Wayne from his attention for a single moment during the evening; and before the interest in the dance was palled, before people had begun to buzz again and turn away, while Mrs. Van Kraut and he were still the spectacle upon which all eyes were directed, he suddenly whirled his partner toward the spot where Hope Wayne and her friends were standing, and stopped.

It was no more necessary for Mrs. Van Kraut to fan herself than if she had been a marble statue.  But it is proper to fan one’s self when one has done dancing—­so she waved the fan.  Besides, it was a Van Kraut heir-loom.  It came from Amsterdam.  It was studded with jewels.  It was part of the property.

As for Abel, he turned and bowed profoundly to Miss Wayne.  Of course she knew that people were looking.  She bowed as if to a mere acquaintance.  Abel said a few words, signifying nothing, to his partner, then he remarked to Miss Wayne that he was very glad indeed to meet her again; that he had not called because he knew she had been making a convent of her aunt’s house—­making herself a nun—­a Sister of Charity, he did not doubt, doing good as she always did—­making every body in the world happy, as she could not help doing, and so forth.

Abel rattled on, he did not know why; but he did know that his Uncle Lawrence, and Amy Waring, and Mr. Merlin heard every thing he said.  Hope looked at him calmly, and listened to the gay cascade of talk.

The music was still playing; Mr. Van Boozenberg spoke to Lawrence Newt; Amy Waring said that she saw her Aunt Bennet.  Would Mr. Merlin take her to her aunt?—­he should return to his worship in one moment.  Mr. Merlin was very gallant, and replied with spirit that when her worship returned—­here he made a low bow—­his would.  As they moved away Amy Waring laughed at him, and said that