fingers touched it, the throb of passion swelled from his heart, so that the response was almost audible. 66 "I am glad I came," said Sterling, as his eyes glowed with that peculiarly warm expression which borrows its subdued brilliancy from the inspiring heart. "Why so?" said Mrs. Thimblerigg. "I have learnt to know you better," said he; and he touched the frill of her flowing sleeve. ་་ I hope we shall be friends." "Yes," said Sterling, fervently, "more than friends," as he unbuttoned the wristband of her glove, continuing playfully, "Do not keep your fingers in prison always; but let them have a little air," and he tore the glove gently away-kissed it passionately, and as he parted from her, put it into the side pocket of his snow white vest. He made an excuse-ran back to her, and whispered" I shall dream on it to-night." She tapped him on the chin with her fan as she took it from her dewy lips and said-" Come tomorrow then, and tell the dream." Mrs. Thimblerigg was satisfied with the evening. She had achieved quite enough. Sterling's smile on her heart was reflected as if from the face of a mirror. She was sad and wished to leave, so beckon. ing her sister Amelia, who was still lingering with the fascinated Blunderbuss, she proposed to go home. "How do you like Sterling, love?" said Thimble rigg, that night after the ball, as he turned himself over. "Charmed," said Mrs. Thimblerigg; "I am charmed." 66 Charmed!" replied Thimblerigg. "Well, he is charmed too; I see it; and now if you choose, you can make capital out of him. He is destined to play an important part here, this winter. He can do as much for me as any man. Cultivate him, my love, cultivate him; and do it up brown, at that.” "But it might be dangerous to cultivate him," said Mrs. Thimblerigg, a little roguishly. 66 Dangerous,' ," said the doctor; "well, if I'm not meddlesome, whose business is it? We must have money, my dear-money. Havn't I told you that your smiles, if coined, would be the purest of gold? Now is the time. In a week, if you choose, you can make Sterling do for you whatever you ask; aud half congress is made up of just such men. Young, ardent and passionate; idle, listless and vain; ambitious and gallant. You can not tell how many votes there may be in a single, well managed adventure!" Mrs. Thimblerigg said nothing to this. She took the hint, and felt but little degradation, for she had found out her husband long before. His remarks on this occasion, were not of much importance, so far as her feelings were concerned. And long after he was asleep, the open eyes of this restless spouse were tracing images of love and beauty on the misty outlines of the twilight atmosphere of that dimly lighted chamber. Sterling's voice was still in her ear; his eyes were in her heart; his lips were on her hand! Oh mystery, where is thy dwelling? Not in the sky; not in the stars; not in the rolling of the spheres; not in the thunder, the clouds, the lightning, nor in the evolutions of material substances, but in the heart. As Sterling was about to leave the saloon, after his pocketing of the glove, he heard Beatrice's laugh! Her voice was perfectly known; but not having seen her during the night, he had despaired of her coming. Turning his eyes in the direction of the voice he beheld for the first time, Henry Clay. Beatrice was leaning on his arm, and the great eyes of this wonderful man, given alone to her as he spoke, seemed to cover her with their intellectual rays. Sterling gazed at Mr. Clay with agitated admiration. "And that is Mr. Clay?" For a moment even the presence of Beatrice was not noted. "You forget me, General," she remarked, laughingly, "this is Mr. Clay!" His interview with Mr. Clay was so positively awkward that we must let it pass. "Keep it securely, General," said Beatrice, roguishly. "Keep what?" "The glove. I saw it all!" CHAPTER IX. The reader need not think that we are crowding Sterling. He was a fast man. Members of congress have ample time to dispose of their public business, and leisure to attend to many outside adventures. Two hours a day spent in the hall is a fair average of congressional labor, especially with the younger members. Sterling thought very little of the glove, except the discovery of Beatrice. He did not remove it from its place of deposit. In fact, his washwoman, the next week, when she came to iron his vest, finding a stiff substance in the pocket, drew it forth, and behold! it was the glove! all faded and stiff! wadded up into a knot! Such is the care taken of these invaluable trifles; but the vest-an article which the Count de Grammont might have envied-the vest was a ruin, for soap and battling could not remove the purple tinge which, in spots, the glove had left upon it. But, though he thought not of the glove, he did not forget the hand, nor the finger, nor the glorious arm, nor the more glorious neck and shoulders, nor the mouth-that rosy mug of nectar, the sight of whose sparkling edges would have brought froth to the lips of Nestor or Methusalem. But above all he remembered the gentle and roguish invitation: Come to-morrow, and tell your dream." The morning was spent until eleven at his toilet. He arrayed himself with the utmost taste and elegance. His coat and pants were black, his vest lilac, his gloves white; a rich diamond studded his bosom, and his watch, which he wore in his vest pocket, was fastened by a small black chain which had been the ingenious manufacture of Lily Carey. It was eleven. He was sure she was ready. And so she was;-sitting alone in her private parlor, her cheek glowing with rosy anticipations. She, too, had been busy with her toilet. No art had been unemployed to improve her natural beauty-the ars celare artem had been carried to perfection. Haidee could not have done it more simply. The rich laces over her bosom moved with her breath, undulating to every swell of her passionate heart. Her arms, to the elbows, were covered with snowy frills that mingled like mists, as the foam of disturbed waters may be imagined to envelope the limbs of a Naiad. One hand was without a glove, and the fingers were without rings, save one! It was of plain gold; her wedding ring-left in sight on purpose; for she did not intend to carry the flirtation too far; and the sight of this might be necessary to remind her of duty. Her front hair was loose, in negligent curls, falling along her neck, partly veiling her ears and peeping about her vapory laces with a thousand curious eyes. "Her foot was loveliest of remembered things, |