his till you return.'

'Be it so,' said he; and then with a bow to my cousin and an easy nod to
Grammont, O'Grady took his hat and departed.

Grammont now looked at his watch, and remembering some half-dozen very
important appointments, took his leave also, leaving me once more, after
so long an interval, _tete-a-tete_ with Julia.

There were so many things to talk over since we had met, so many
reminiscences which each moment called up, that I never thought of the
hours as they ran over; and it was only by Lady Charlotte's appearance
in the drawing-room that we were apprised it was already past four
o'clock, and that the tide of her morning visitors would now set in, and
break up all hopes of continuing our colloquy.

'Where is your friend?' said my mother, as she carried her eyes
languidly round the spacious apartment.

'Gone some hours ago; but he promised to take me up here. We shall see
him soon, I suspect.'

'Colonel O'Grady,' said a servant; and my cousin had just time to leave
the room by one door as he entered by another.

Advancing to my mother with a manner of respectful ease which he
possessed in perfection, O'Grady contrived in a few brief words to
resume the ground he had formerly occupied in her acquaintance, throwing
out as he went an occasional compliment to her looks, so naturally and
unaffectedly done as not to need acknowledgment or reply, but yet with
sufficient _empressement_ to show interest.

'I have heard since my arrival that you were interested about this ball,
and took the opportunity to secure you some tickets, which, though late,
some of your friends may care for.'

He presented my mother as he spoke with several blank cards of
invitation, who, as she took them, could not conceal her astonishment
nor repress the look of curiosity, which she could scarcely repel in
words, as to how he had accomplished a task the highest people in Paris
had failed in. I saw what was passing in her mind, and immediately
said--

'My mother would like to know your secret about these same cards,
O'Grady; for they have been a perfect subject of contention here for the
last three weeks.'

'Her ladyship must excuse me--at least for the present--if I have one
secret I cannot communicate to her,' said O'Grady, smiling. 'Let me only
assure her that no one shall know it before she herself does.'

'And there is a secret?' said Lady Charlotte eagerly.

'Yes, there is a secret,' replied O'Grady, with a most