seemed as if she were hardly breathing.  Her eyes were fixed on the young girl with whom Mr. Bernard was talking.  He had often noticed their brilliancy, but now it seemed to him that they appeared dull, and the look on her features was as of some passion which had missed its stroke.  Mr. Bernard’s companion seemed unconscious that she was the object of this attention, and was listening to the young master as if he had succeeded in making himself very agreeable.

Of course Dick Veneer had not mistaken the game that was going on.  The schoolmaster meant to make Elsie jealous,—­and he had done it.  That ’s it:  get her savage first, and then come wheedling round her,—­a sure trick, if he isn’t headed off somehow.  But Dick saw well enough that he had better let Elsie alone just now, and thought the best way of killing the evening would be to amuse himself in a little lively talk with Mrs. Blanche Creamer, and incidentally to show Elsie that he could make himself acceptable to other women, if not to herself.

The Doctor presently went up to Elsie, determined to engage her in conversation and get her out of her thoughts, which he saw, by her look, were dangerous.  Her father had been on the point of leaving Helen Darley to go to her, but felt easy enough when he saw the old Doctor at her side, and so went on talking.  The Reverend Doctor, being now left alone, engaged the Widow Rowens, who put the best face on her vexation she could, but was devoting herself to all the underground deities for having been such a fool as to ask that pale-faced thing from the Institute to fill up her party.

There is no space left to report the rest of the conversation.  If there was anything of any significance in it, it will turn up by and by, no doubt.  At ten o’clock the Reverend Doctor called Miss Letty, who had no idea it was so late; Mr. Bernard gave his arm to Helen; Mr. Richard saw to Mrs. Blanche Creamer; the Doctor gave Elsie a cautioning look, and went off alone, thoughtful; Dudley Venner and his daughter got into their carriage and were whirled away.  The Widow’s gambit was played, and she had not won the game.

CHAPTER XXIII.

The wild Huntsman.

The young master had not forgotten the old Doctor’s cautions.  Without attributing any great importance to the warning he had given him, Mr. Bernard had so far complied with his advice that he was becoming a pretty good shot with the pistol.  It was an amusement as good as many others to practise, and he had taken a fancy to it after the first few days.