in an August sky, and Roscoe, poor Elliott Roscoe, looked precisely as I imagine a hungry wolf feels, when crouching to catch a tender ewe lamb he finds that the watchful shepherd has safely locked it in the fold.  Evidently he believes that you and Erle Palma have conspired to starve him out, and really he is ludicrously irate.  Don’t trifle with his expanding affections; they are not quite fledged yet, and are easily bruised.  Deal with him kindly; he is better than his cousin, better than any of us.  What have you done to render him so unmanageable?

“I have not seen Mr. Roscoe for a week.”

“Certainly he has seen you in much less time—­he imagines, as recently as this afternoon; but appearances are desperately deceitful, and our fancy often manufactures likenesses.  In this world of fleeting shadows we are often called upon to reject the evidence of all five of the senses, and what madness, what culpable folly, to credit that of mere treacherous sight!  Shall I tell Elliott that he was dreaming, and did not see you?”

“I have no message for him.  That he may have seen me sometime to-day, walking upon the street, is quite possible, but certainly of no consequence.  Your bracelet has become unfastened.”

She bent down to clasp the topaz crescent, and Olga laid her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Something pains you very much, and your face has not yet learned the great feminine art of masking misery in smiles, and burying it in dimples.  Mind, dear, I do not ask, I do not wish to know what your hidden fox is, preying so ravenously upon your vitals.  Sooner or later the punishment of the Spartan thief overtakes us all, and after a while you will learn to bear the gnawing as gaily as I do.  I don’t want to know your secret wound, I should only lacerate it with my callous policy handling, only torment you by pouring into its gaping mouth the vitriol of my fashionable worldly philosophy, which consumes what it touches.  How I wish stupid society would stand aside and let me do you a genuine kindness; open your blue veins and let out gently—­slowly—­all the pangs and throbs.  Dear, it would be a blessing, like that man in the East who stabbed his devoted wife at her request, because he loved her and wished to put her at rest; but something very blind indeed, and which under the cloak of Law mocks and outrages justice, would blindly hang me!  This is the age of Law; even miracles are severely forbidden, and if the herd of Gadarene swine had miraculously perished in this generation and country, our Lord and His disciples would have inevitably been sued for damages.  Don’t you know that Erle Palma would have been engaged for the prosecution?  Yes, mamma! quite ready, and coming, Go to sleep, snowdrop, and dream that you are like me, a topaz-bedizened odalisque swimming in sunshine.”

She stooped, kissed the girl softly on both cheeks, and looked tenderly, pityingly at her; then suddenly gathered her close to her heart, holding her there an instant, as if to shelter her from some impending storm.