I will talk to Balsamides to-night. He is very clever about
those things, and he will find out the name of the black man who sold
it."

We separated, and I went to find my friend; but he was on duty and would
not return until evening. I spent the rest of the day in making visits,
trying to get rid of the time. On returning to the house of Gregorios I
found a letter from John Carvel, the first I had received from him since
I had left England. It ran as follows:--

* * *

MY DEAR GRIGGS: Since you left us something very extraordinary and
unexpected has taken place, and considering the part you took in our
household affairs, you should not be kept in the dark. I have suffered
more annoyance in connection with my unfortunate sister-in-law than I
can ever tell you; and the thing has culminated in a sort of
transformation scene, such as you certainly never expected any more than
I did. What will you say when I tell you that Madame Patoff has suddenly
emerged from her rooms in all respects a sane woman? You will not be any
less surprised--unless Paul has confided in you--to hear that he asked
Hermione to marry him before leaving us, and that Hermione did not
refuse him! I am so nervous that I have cut three meets in the last
month.

Of course you will want to know how all this came out. I do not see how
I can manage to write so long a letter as this must be. But the _labor
improbus_ knocks the stuffing out of all difficulties, as you put it in
your neat American way. I dare say I shall survive. If I do not, the
directions for my epitaph are, "Here lies the body of Anne Patoff's
brother-in-law." If you could see me, you would appreciate the justice
of the inscription.

Madame Patoff is perfectly sane; dines with us, drives out, walks,
talks, and reads like any other human being,--in which she differs
materially from Chrysophrasia, who does all these things as they were
never done, before or after the flood. We do not know what to make of
the situation, but we try to make the best of it. It came about in this
way. Hermione had taken a fancy to pay her aunt a visit, a day or two
after you had left. Mrs. North was outside, as usual, reading or working
in the next room. It chanced that the door was left open, or not quite
closed. Mrs. North had the habit of listening to what went on,
professionally, because it was her business to watch the case. As she
sat there working, she heard Madame Patoff's voice, talking
consecutivel