"Since you seem to desire it so earnestly, I am sure I have no wish to object," she answered, trembling in spite of her efforts to appear unconcerned under the fire of his keen, ardent gaze.

"You are an angel," he cried, seating himself in a chair so near her that he could still hold the little fluttering hands, which she fain would have drawn from his clasp, for, although she had never before had a proposal of marriage, she guessed intuitively what was coming.

"Since I have but a few minutes alone with you, Claire, what I have to say must be said quickly," he began.

For the first time in her life Claire was at a loss for an answer.

"I am sure you have guessed my secret, sweetest of all sweet girls," he murmured. "Every glance of my eyes, every touch of my hand, must have told it to you from the first moment we met. Did it--not?"

"No," faltered Claire, her eyes drooping like a flower under the sun's piercing rays.

"Then my lips shall tell you," he cried. "It is this--I love you, little Claire--love you with all my heart, all my soul. You are the light of my life, the sunshine of my existence, my lode-star, my hope--all that a young girl is to a man who idolizes her as the one supreme being on earth who can make him happy. Oh, Claire, I worship you as man never worshiped woman before, and I want you for my wife."

She opened her lips to speak, but he went on rapidly, hoa.r.s.ely:

"Do not refuse me, for it would be my death warrant if you did. I tell you I cannot brook a refusal from those dear lips of yours. If you do not consent I shall make away with myself in your presence here and now with a revolver which lies in my breast pocket."

A scream of terror broke from Claire's terrified lips.

"Oh, do not make away with yourself, Mr; Armstrong!" "I--I will promise--anything you--you want me to! Only don't shoot yourself--don't!"

"Then you accept me?" queried Kendale in a very businesslike manner.

"Ye-es--if mamma does not--object," she answered in a stifling manner.

"There must be no ifs," he declared. "You must take me, no matter who objects. If we cannot bring your mamma around to an amicable way of thinking, we must elope--that is all there is about it."

"Elope!" gasped Claire in affright.

"Why, what else would there be left to do?" he asked, with asperity. "I love you and I must have you, Claire, and if you are willing to take me, why, we will marry in spite of anything and everything that opposes.

"Of course, if your mamma sees things as we do, all well and good; but I say now to you, her objections must make no difference whatever in our plans."

"Oh, Mr. Armstrong!" gasped Claire, not knowing what in the world to say to this ardent lover, who was so impetuous in his wooing.

Before he could add a word Mrs. Fairfax came down the grand stairway, her silken gown making a rustling frou-frou upon the velvet carpet.

She looked much surprised at finding him there, as she had not been apprised of his coming.

Kendale arose to greet her in his usual impressive, languid, courteous fashion, managing to whisper in Claire's ear hastily:

"Make some excuse to leave the drawing-room for a few minutes, dear, and while you are gone I will broach the all-important subject to your mother."

Mrs. Fairfax greeted the handsome young man cordially, pretending not to have noticed how near to each other they had been sitting upon her entrance to the drawing-room, and how suddenly they had sprung apart.

Her daughter's blushing face and confused manner told her that the propitious moment had arrived--the handsome heir to the Marsh millions had proposed.

And underneath her calm exterior Mrs. Fairfax's heart beat high with exultation. Her quick ear had also caught that rapidly whispered last remark to Claire, and, realizing that her daughter was too much fl.u.s.tered to act upon it, gave the young man the opportunity to be alone with her which he seemed to desire by remarking:

"Dear me, I have left my fan in my boudoir, Claire, dear, would you mind ringing for my maid to fetch it to me?"

"I will go for it, mamma," returned Claire, shyly, without daring to look at her lover.

"As you like, my dear," returned Mrs. Fairfax, with very natural appearing carelessness.

Claire was gone quite half an hour in search of the fan. When she returned to the drawing-room her mother met her with open arms.

"Mr. Armstrong has told me all, my darling," she murmured, "and I give my consent. You may marry him if you love him, daughter, and quite as soon as he wishes."

Kendale left the mansion two hours later with a self-satisfied smile on his lips.

"Marrying heiresses is much easier than most men suppose," he muttered--and he stopped short in the grounds, standing under a tree until the lights went out one by one, shrouding the house in gloom.

Meanwhile, girl like, Claire had flown to Faynie's apartment to tell her the wonderful news--that her handsome lover had really proposed and her mother had given her consent, and she was to be married at once.

Faynie's swoon had put a stop to confiding to her all the wonderful things Lester had said. "I will tell her in the morning," she promised herself, little dreaming what was to transpire ere the morrow dawned.

CHAPTER XXIV.

AN AWFUL APPARITION.

When Faynie awoke to consciousness she found the housekeeper bending over her. Hours had pa.s.sed and Claire had long since retired to her room.

Faynie opened her eyes slowly, in a half-dazed manner, but as she did so memory returned to her with startling force; but she bravely restrained the cry that rose to her lips.

Claire had called her lover "Lester!" She wondered that the sound of that name had: not stricken her head.

Could Claire's lover be--Ah! she dared not even imagine such a horrible possibility. Then she laughed aloud, thinking how foolish she had been to be so needlessly alarmed.

The false lover who had wooed and won her so cruelly was not the only man in the world who bore the fateful name of Lester.

"Ah, you are better, my dear," exclaimed the old housekeeper in great relief. "Your swoon lasted so long that I was greatly alarmed; What caused you to faint, my dear child?"

Faynie murmured some reply which she could not quite catch, for the housekeeper was old and very deaf.

"Take this and go to sleep," she said, holding a soothing, quieting draught to the girl's white, hot, parched lips. "You will awaken as well as ever to-morrow."

Faynie did as she was requested, closing her eyes. She was glad when the kindly old face was turned away and she was left alone--not to sleep, but to think.

Of course it could not be Lester Armstrong who was Claire's suitor, for he was poor, and her haughty stepmother would never encourage the suit of a man who did not have wealth at his command.

If Faynie had but read the papers she would have known what was transpiring, but, alas! she did not and was utterly unaware of the strange turn of fortune's wheel which had occurred in the life of the young a.s.sistant cashier to whom she had given the wealth of her love, when he was poor.

Lying there, going over every detail of, the past, which seemed now but the idle vagaries of a fleeting dream, she hardly knew, Heaven help her, whether she still loved--or hated with all the strength of her nature--Lester Armstrong.