adame Lalande? Yes, she loved me--she
returned the enthusiasm of my love, with an enthusiasm as blind--as
uncompromising--as uncalculating--as abandoned--and as utterly unbounded
as my own! These delicious fancies and reflections, however, were now
interrupted by the falling of the drop-curtain. The audience arose; and
the usual tumult immediately supervened. Quitting Talbot abruptly, I
made every effort to force my way into closer proximity with Madame
Lalande. Having failed in this, on account of the crowd, I at length
gave up the chase, and bent my steps homeward; consoling myself for
my disappointment in not having been able to touch even the hem of her
robe, by the reflection that I should be introduced by Talbot, in due
form, upon the morrow.

This morrow at last came, that is to say, a day finally dawned upon a
long and weary night of impatience; and then the hours until "one" were
snail-paced, dreary, and innumerable. But even Stamboul, it is said,
shall have an end, and there came an end to this long delay. The clock
struck. As the last echo ceased, I stepped into B--'s and inquired for
Talbot.

"Out," said the footman--Talbot's own.

"Out!" I replied, staggering back half a dozen paces--"let me tell
you, my fine fellow, that this thing is thoroughly impossible and
impracticable; Mr. Talbot is not out. What do you mean?"

"Nothing, sir; only Mr. Talbot is not in, that's all. He rode over to
S--, immediately after breakfast, and left word that he would not be in
town again for a week."

I stood petrified with horror and rage. I endeavored to reply, but my
tongue refused its office. At length I turned on my heel, livid with
wrath, and inwardly consigning the whole tribe of the Talbots to the
innermost regions of Erebus. It was evident that my considerate friend,
il fanatico, had quite forgotten his appointment with myself--had
forgotten it as soon as it was made. At no time was he a very scrupulous
man of his word. There was no help for it; so smothering my vexation as
well as I could, I strolled moodily up the street, propounding futile
inquiries about Madame Lalande to every male acquaintance I met. By
report she was known, I found, to all--to many by sight--but she had
been in town only a few weeks, and there were very few, therefore, who
claimed her personal acquaintance. These few, being still comparatively
strangers, could not, or would not, take the liberty of introducing me
through the formality of