Innocent : her fancy and his fact

elect which she chooses to call "society," Innocent was invited to the house of a well-known Duchess, renowned for a handsome personality, and also for an unassailable position,

she glided in her noiseless, satin-cushioned motor brougham up to the door of Miss Leigh's modest little dwelling and left the necessary slips of pasteboard bearing her titled name, with similar slips on behalf of her husband the Duke, for Miss Armitage and Miss Leigh. The slips were

t myself-but YOU ought to go certainly. It's a great house-a great famil

me over her of late-a change too subtle to be noticed by anyone who was not as keenly observant as M

I know what is called 'modern' generally-bad art, bad literat

ooking at the girl with

' truly are so, but they are ancient as well! The world has altered very little, I think. Wha

a soft little lau

e said, playfully-"Y

and a pretty pink colour

ng fun of me!" she said-"Wha

r hand for the card of in

, slowly-"What a

igh hes

nerous-and most helpful in works of charity. I never knew such energy as she shows in or

murmured the girl

nd the satisfaction of her own vanity and social power-and you, with your beautiful thoughts and ideals, might not lik

or a minute or two-then

ine! Which is it to be? The deci

od of her head. "It would be unwise to refuse-especially just now when everyo

rt of speech. Miss Leigh noted this with some concern, watching her as she went, and admiring the supple grace of her sm

she thought-"But not happier,

ading and re-reading a brief letter which had come for her b

r 'crushes', but one can always escape the mob. I have seen so little of you lately, and you are now so famous that I shall think myself lucky if I may touch the hem of your garment. Will you encourage me thus far? Like Hamlet, 'I lack advancement'! When wil

ur

DE JO

d with genius and deprived of worldly wisdom as all such divine children are, throbbed uneasily, and her eyes were wet. More than this, she touched

have worn the maiden name of her mother had she known it-but she did not know it. And what she was thinking of now, was this: Should she tell her lately discovered second "Amadis de Jocelyn" the true story of her birth and parentage at this, the outset of their friendship, before-well, before it went

uble-he is so proud of his lineage, and I too am proud of it for him! ...

ning lights" of the day. This, so far, had been sufficient information for all with whom she had come in contact-but as time went on, would not people ask more about her?-who were her father and mother?-where she was born?-how she had been educated? These inquisitorial demands were surely among the penalties of f

ct an entrance, but once inside, the scene was one of veritable enchantment. The lovely hues and odours of flowers, the softened glitter of thousands of electric lamps shaded with rose-colour, the bewildering brilliancy of women's clothes and jewels, the exquisite music pouring like a rippling stream through the magnificent reception-rooms, all combined to create a magical effect of sensuous beauty and luxury; and as Innocent, accompanied by the sweet-faced old-fashioned lady who played the part of chaperone with such gentle dignity, approached her hostess, she was a little dazzled and

come! You will give me a few words with you later on? Yes? Everybod

t and shoulders by quaint clasps of dull gold-a gown with nothing remarkable about it save its cut and fit-melting itself, as it were, around her in harmonious folds of fine azure which suggested without emphasising the graceful lines of her form. The men looked, and said nothing much except "A pity she's a writing woman! Mucking about Fleet Street!"-mere senseless talk which t

ived you," he said-"May I present myself

," she was a little startled. She looked round for Miss Leigh, but that tactful lady, seeing the position, had disappeared. So she laid her little cream-gloved hand on the Duke's arm and went with him, shyly at first, yet with a pretty stateliness which was all her own, and moving slowly among the crowd of guests, gradually recovered her ease and self-possession, and began to talk to him with a delightful naturalness and candour which fairly captivated His Grace, in fact, "bowled him over," a

said-"I want to introduce him to you,"-this, as a tall old man paused n

truggling sensation in her throat moving her to cry out, and

ven't you, Blythe?" went on the Duke, garrulous

gratulate you on winning your laurels while you are young enough

ly whether it would be possible for her to run away!-anywhere-anywhere, rather tha

asked-"I hope the

he murmured-"

lift itself to the sun-she saw Lord Blythe approaching with a handsome woman dressed in silvery g

the-Miss

ned widely in amazement and fear-she put out a hand as

Are yo

ell!-a little faint perhaps! The heat, I think! Yes-of course! Mi

you!" said Inn

oked at each othe

rd Blythe glanced at his wife with some wonder and curiosity. Both imagined, with the usual short

us!" thought the Duke

casionally "m

lythe's inward comment, knowing that his wife

again and laughed quite merrily at

hair flashing with a sinister gleam like lightning on still water. "You must remember it's rather overwhelming to be

eel," replied I

he rattle

Now, my dear Duke, don't look so cross, I'll bring her back to you directly!" and she nodded pleasantly. "You

lliancy of a misty red moon. Once away from the crowd, Lady Blythe walked quickly and impatiently, scarcely looking at the youthful figure that accompanied her own, like a fair ghost gliding step for step beside her. At last she stopped; they were well away from

whispered, through her

a step, and looked

derstand you

felt them choking her. "Oh, I could strike you for your insolence! I wish I had never sought you out or told you how you

with a fire seldom see

nour for myself! Shame is YOURS and yours only!-it would be mine if I had to acknowledge YOU as my mother!-you who never had the courage to be true!" Her young voice thrilled with passion.-"I have won my own way! I am something beyo

her like some enrage

iercely. "Yes, and how dare you take

aiden' name you had dishonoured! When you came to Briar Farm to find me-to see me-so late, so late!-after long years of desertion-I told you it was possible to make a name;-one cannot

tain light of the half-veiled moon. She moved a s

know! What are your plans of vengeance?-your campaign of notorie

opped lamb, lost in a thicket of thorns, is to the sheep that bore it! That's a rough country simile,-I was brought up on a farm, you know

ly Lady Blythe gave a kind

as we have met to-night, it wi

s," the girl replied, quietly. "No strangers

eep MY secret?

ose I would give my fat

as if HE was worth consideration!-he w

w all the circumstances. But I have heard that he was a great artist; and

ughed-a hard m

to sacrifice his own pleasure and comfort for anyone-he was glad to get rid of me-and of YOU! And now-now!" She threw up her hands with an expressive, half-tragic gesture. "Now you are famous!-actually famous! Good heavens!-why, I thought you would stay in that old f

and fashionable "set,"-the other, the possessor of a sudden brilliant fame which was spreading a new light across the two hemispheres. Not

There are dozens of people waiting to be presented to Mis

d to Innocent wit

etaining you in the garden! It was so good of you to give me a few minutes!-you, the

ssession. She herself, poor child, moved to the very soul by the interview she had just go

ever do! I promised I would take you to the Duchess as soon as I found

med figure and fine intellectual face on which the constant progress of good thoughts had marked many a pleasant lin

nued, as he guided her through the pressing throng of people

youthful look that gave her such fas

such as they dance at harvest-homes; but of course here, you all dance so differently

up in the countr

came to London abo

k me too inquisitive!-wher

ghed a

here I lived, and I read and re-read these. Then, when I was about sixteen, it suddenly came into my head that I would try to write

one morning to find you

. "You have no

d with a hot blu

N

e been very proud of yo

letters, to whom the Duchess presented her with the half kindly, half patronising air of one who feels that any genius in man or woman is a kind of dis

m the conventional way! When I was quite a girl I used to adore a man in Paris who played the 'cello divinely-a perfect marvel!-but he wouldn't comb his hair or blow his nose properly-and it wasn't very nice!-not that it mattered much, he was such a

easy-mannered to be called "abnormal" or eccentric; she was perfectly modest, simple and unaffected, and

not in the least 'bookish.' It seems quite absurd that such a baby-looking

vexed that it did not roar, snort, or make itself as noticeable as certain other animals of the literary

ne? The Sappho of the L

met he

nd kissed the perfectly fitting glove which covered it. "If you mean Miss Armitage, she is just over there talking to two old

ead rising like a golden flower from sea

call an imaginative head-she could pose very well for St. Dorothy. I can qui

t glance and touched his ar

ked. "You make love to every woman-but most

es flashed amusement. "And

y. "But that clever child would not lau

ough dark hair which gave his ruggedly hand

g at! It doesn't do to be serious. I never am. 'Life is real, life is earnest' was the line of conduct practised by my French ancestors; they cut up all their enemies with long swords, and then

ommented the Duchess. "I let you do it-

the court of Corinne-she's not the usual

and the Duchess laughed. "Men always long for wh

! Blame, not us, but the Creat

ide Innocent, who blushed into

coming!" she said, shyly.

ith an admiring so

e?" he said. "I timed myse

scribbled his name down several times, then handed it back to her. Several of t

else a chance,

ound upon th

Amadis de Jocelyn

aughed

nates your pro

s shone

autiful nam

utiful names!" said one man near her. "My name

ight gesture

e said-"Of course! You

will dance

mme handed it round amongst themselves and soon filled

r dance all these

some of them," said Jo

ntrancing strains of rhythmical music came swinging and ringing

d warmly clasping her slim soft body-and her heart fluttered wildly like the beating wings of a snared bird as she fell into the mystic web woven by the strange and pitiless lo