Her hand was in her pocket; she was fumbling with the little key that her sister had given her.

"Ah, my dear young lady," he said, clasping his hands a little, "if you could give me, in charity, a glass of wine!" Gertrude gave a smile and a little nod, and went quickly out of the room.

Presently she came back with a very large decanter in one hand and a plate in the other, on which was placed a big, round cake with a frosted top.

Gertrude, in taking the cake from the closet, had had a moment of acute consciousness that it composed the refection of which her sister had thought that Mr.Brand would like to partake.

Her kinsman from across the seas was looking at the pale, high-hung engravings.