standing close by Guy's elbow. "It's the Colonel you are speaking of, I suppose. Aye, my lads, a woman is generally at the bottom of all a soldier's troubles. One in every ten the unmarried officers in our ranks are love-lorn-fact, by Jupiter! make the best fighters, the biggest dare-devils, hold life cheaply, and come through without a scratch," concluded the Captain, sagely. Languidly Damaris arose from her chair, said her good-night briefly, and flitted away, sick at heart with the intuitive sense that Tom Roswell had fathomed her secret. CHAPTER XLVI GUY KINGSLAND'S UNDOING "The owl shrieked at thy birth, an evil sign; I T was yet early morning and the stars still held their tiny lamps in the western sky when Captain Gardiner, with Guy Kingsland, joined the captain and mate of the Highflyer at the breakfast which the host had ordered for the abnormally early hour of four, that the party might be enabled to get an early start and enjoy a long day's sport. Colonel Lawrence had declined to accompany the hunters, politely but firmly urging his recent fatigue as an excuse. Only Xantippe, the cook, an African slave, black as night, and the solemn-visaged butler were astir, sleepy-eyed and hiding dismal yawns as best they might, both as nearly out of temper as was permissible for the servants of an aristocratic family to be. Pity Lawrence is not to be along," grumbled Guy. "He's a thorough sportsman and never wastes good powder and ball on mean game. It is absolutely churlish of him to hive himself like old Whatdye-call-'em, in his tub. Egad! the Colonel was always quiet, but of late he's been sour-positively sour! Don't see what's come over him!" "I'm of Monckton's opinion," put in Captain Gardiner, breaking an egg. "Some fair fisher of men has done for him-I noticed he was unusually silent before he went to Lawrence's Neck. My word for it, gentlemen, the Colonel has been jilted and is sore. Some haughty dame has done for him and cast him aside like an old glove, as the best of their sex will do with these dashing, dauntless, magnificent heroes, such as our gallant Colonel. It's a demned outrage!" "Any idea who the charmer may be?" chimed in Roswell, his keen gaze fixed on Gardiner's face. "A lady of high degree back there in England, or some colonial maiden?" "Faugh!" broke in Guy, "the fastidious Colonel in love with the linsey-woolsey maids! Ha, ha! A colonial damsel, forsooth! If he has ever been trapped, it is by some high-born daughter of an earl at the very least; but, I' faith, I'm not at all of the opinion that their's a woman in the case-in truth, he appears to be a woman-hater." "Shouldn't be surprised if you are right, lad," assented Captain Gardiner, placidly, and as he spoke Roswell again regarded him curiously. "Now there's our little Damaris, with whom he was on the most friendly footing, and she is of the sort to attract one of your mighty men of war, he should have admired her-though of course he knew of her engagement. I thought at one time he was pleased with her manners. Whatever friendship he may have felt for her has evaporated, and he appears to have quite forgotten her kindness in nursing him through his illness, after that ugly episode of the poisoned arrow-I told you about that, you know. The poor child made a martyr of herself in reading to him and amusing him generally. I can scarcely wonder that he has fallen in her estimation, for she is barely civil to him when they meet, while he acknowledges her presence by a polite bow. Have you noticed it, Kingsland?" "He mistrusts nothing," thought Roswell. "I fancied she regarded him in rather the light of a hero, at the time of the accident, but on closer acquaintance she evidently found his society a bore, though she has never spoken of him in that light." Guy spoke with a nonchalance that was not in the least feigned, betraying the fact that no twinge of jealousy, so far as his affianced was concerned, had ever touched his heart or self-esteem. "Of all the muffs, or rather self-conceited prigs, I ever chanced to meet, Guy Kingsland tops the pack," mused Roswell. "I'm not skilled in the ways of the fair sex, but, by the great sea-god, I'm positive that demure, little puss he is going to wed is fathoms deep in love with the sedate Colonel, and that accounts for his moody, abstracted air. The big soldier, so much her senior, loves her adores her, else his eyes belie him; but he is honourable, she pure and faithful, one that would walk over hot ploughshares to perform what she believes her duty. As to Guy, he is too much wrapped up in his selfadmiration to fancy for a moment he could have a rival-he's well enough, a deuced companionable fellow, and will make her a passable husband, I dare say. Well, it's none of my concern, and I'll e'en keep my tongue between my teeth." Thus cogitating, Tom lounged idly at the window while Captain Gardiner and Guy went away to accoutre themselves for the chase, and Monckton stood beside the mantel puffing vigorously at his pipe. Guy, returning to the breakfast room, came sud denly upon Damaris, who was awaiting his coming in the upper hall. She had wrapped a heavy dressing gown about her, her long hair fell unbound over her shoulders, and even in the dim light of early morning creeping through the leafless branches of the trees outside, and falling greyly through the diamond-paned window at the end of the hall, he noticed that her cheeks were pallid. "Heyday, little one, up with the lark! Bound to see the last of me, eh? Very good of you, I'm sure, was his greeting, as he pinched her cheek playfully. "We're off for a glorious day's sport. Tell Lawrence to take good care of you while I'm away. Why! what on earth ails the child?" He wound his arm about her waist, carelessly, as in duty bound, kissing her forehead with a little bird peck. "I could not sleep, I was disturbed by such frightful dreams, and so I came to bid you good-bye," she whispered. "I wish you were not going away today. Do you believe in dreams?" Tush, lassie; I believe in the effect of bad digestion, and I advise a morning nap-what you ladies call a beauty sleep-supplemented by a brisk walk in the crisp air. There's nothing like this bracing sea-breeze to set one up. Take my prescription, and good-bye, sweetheart." He bent, just touched her cheek with his lips, and ran downstairs, leaving her to return to her room with reluctant steps. With a heavy feeling of unrest, a presentiment of evil, and a strong sense of her lover's indifference, she threw herself upon her bed and presently fell into a deep slumber. The sun was gilding sea and shore in its luminous sheen when Captain Monckton and Lieutenant Ros |