pertinence  with  which  Danforth  had  begun  and
then  dismissed  the  matter.  But  glancing  up
he  saw  that  Miss  Hollingsworth  was  looking  at
him.  There  was  an  expression  on  her  face  that
drove  every  angry  feeling  from  his  mind.  Her
eyes  met  his,  but  for  an  instant ;  but  there
flashed  from  them  a  glance  of  sympathy  and
understanding,  with  something  else  lurking  be-
hind it,  that  might  have  indicated  a  suddenly
awakened  interest  or  admiration.  Mrs.  Tre-
vellian,  who  had  caught  it,  gave  a  little
start.
"  What  you  said,  Mr.  Hart,"  she  laughed,
"  makes  me  wish  more  than  ever  that  I  could
vote,  but  now  we  are  going  to  leave  you  to
your  cigars."

After  the  ladies  had  left,  Danforth  apparently
ignored  Hart's  presence  altogether  and  began  a
long  discussion  in  German  with  Count  Gillig.
Hart  sat  silently  smoking,  and  his  thoughts
ranged  wide.  What  was  Jt  all  tending  to?
Where  would  he  fetch  up  ?  Somehow  he  longed
for  the  old,  untroubled  life  that  he  had  led
when  a  clerk  in  the  store  at  Oakland.  He
pictured  to  himself  Mr.  Van  Clees  and  his  wife,
sitting  in  the  little  front  room  upstairs  with  the


Partisans.  285

parlor  melodeon  locked  and  tuneless.  Poor  lit-
tle Mabel !  He  had  not  thought  of  her  of  late,
and  no  word  had  he  heard  for  three  years  now.
