The Washington herald., 1907-10-12
CHAPTER IV-COntinued.


He called himself an ass and then,
his cigar being out, he lag back In his
chair and fell into delicious reverie.
Supposing that Lucy might marry him,
what charming, piquant beauty was hers,
what insinuating grace; with what
naivete did she admit her imperfectons.
How unerringly did she divine the best
way OF making herself acceptable, and
how singularly and completely did she
possess that art OF aTts-the art OF pleas
ing, Soon his reverie merged into a
soft dream He was with Lucy Army
tage in the winter twilight and they We're
walking together through the cold, bare,
winter woods, and Lucys slim hand was
in ais and her eyes were downcast He
awakened suddenly and found his fire
out and the clock striking 1, and he
for his folly and determining that the
time had come when he must put Lucy
absolutely out Of his mind
The next nightfSir Percy Carlyon was
to dine at the Chantreys Lord Baude-
sert and Mrs. Vereker were also Of the
party. Mrs. Chamrey thought a member
of the British Embassy but a little low
er than the angels, and to this was add
ed the stimulus that she confidently ex-
pected to be Lady Baudesert before the
year was out. Lord Baudesert encourag-
ed this harmless delusion in every pos
sible way, short of actually proposing,
and if he had not been the ablest Of di-
plomatists Mrs Chantrey would Ger
tainly have married him when he was not
looking. She had, in her own mind al
ready rearranged all the furniture in
the British Embassy, decided whom she
would invite to dinner and whom she
would leave out. and intended TO be very
civil to Mrs Vereker. However much
Lord Baudesert might be outwardly di-
verted by Mrs. Chantrey's elderly CO.
quetry, he was forced cynic though he
was, to admire Eleanor Chantrey- He
even went SO far as to COnCede that, If
it were possible for an American woman
to be fitted for an ambassadress, Eleanor
Chanuey was that woman. Beauty. dis
tinctiOn, and many other accomplish
ments We're hers, and she would have
adorned the highest position.
The first person Sir Percy's eyes rested
upon as he entered the drawing-rOoIn
was Lucy Armytage, and to his delight
she was given 20 him to take into din
ner. Every moment. thereafter, he felt
himself falling more and more in love
with her.
Senator March was among the guests,
and after the ladies had departed and
the men were smoking he said to Sir
Percy:
Next month I'm having little house
party at a country place I have in the
Maryland mountains. I go there occa-
sionally for a few days rest I hope
you will be Of the party"
Sir Percy accepted with pleasure. He
had never met man for whom he felt
a stronger inclination toward friendship
that Roger March.
When the men returned to the draw
ing-room Lucy Armytage and Eleanor
Chantrey were standing together on the
hearth rug and talking with animation
Eleanor was resplendent in her beauty,
but to Sir Percy Carlyon the slim, black
haired Lucy Armytage seemed to out
shine her as a scintillant star, set high
in the heavens, outshines the great,
round, commonplace moon.
Later. driving back to the embassy
in the big, comfortable coach, Lord Bau-
desert said to Sir Percy:
Magnificent girl, Miss Chantrey. She
has everything: beauty. breeding, and
fortune. II she were not an American
should advise you TO pay your court in
that direction.
But she is an American" replied Sir