; others had a colouring of reality. Sho thought of Mr Scranton aud Mr Lytton. Would they change to wards her now, now that her fort-one v-^- 1 swept away? She i'eifc quit- sure thai; XJV Lytton would. Conscious as she was of her beauty, and wib, and many charm?, _sli_ waa humbled by the prospect of adversity ; she was nob certain iiow much, after a!!, her father's position had added to tho in fluence. Did she think also of Oliver Grey ? Perhaps she recalled him as a last, resort, should others fail her ; and perhaps—for hers was an ardent, if a selfish nature—for one sweet moment of bliss in the midst of sorrow, she felt how glorious it would be to yield to the current' of fate and be swept into his anus, his wife, now that she could be nothing more brilliant. Of all her hun dred thoughts bhat long, hot, wearisome afternoon, this one was the pleasantosb. It could nob be that she should be unloved, or entirely deserted, while Oliver lived ; and this was so much better than — nothing ! Goorgo was nob inclined to be conversa tional : she still less so. Both were tired and exhausted by bhe strong agitations of the day : so bhas when the cars rolled into tho Now York depot thoy wore glad to find the tedious journey at ,-vi end. After placing her in a carriage, George looked about for an evening paper, which ho eagerly perused as the hackman drove them to the Battery. * I sea nothing hero of the failure of our firm.' ho said, alter glancing at the now daily list of failures. ] ' Perhaps ib is not so bad as we havo feared,' exclaimed Camilla, reviving under bhe fainb hopo magically. ' Something musb have gone very wrong, or Ethelda would nob havo telegraphed. She is not a sensational girl.' ' We shall soon know.' Thero was quite a chiil breeze blowing over the water as they wenb aboard tho boat, which landed them eloso to tho Poplars, bub Camilla could nob remain in the cabin ; the fresh breeze felt grateful to her fevered face. 