ine, every moment they staid appeared to me an hour."

He could proceed no further, for the door opened, and Ruth Thornton
entered with sketches of costumes in her hand, and said, hesitatingly,--

"I am sure you will pardon me, Mademoiselle Madeleine; Madame de Fleury
insisted; she fairly, or rather _unfairly_ forced me to seek you with
these sketches; she seems resolved to secure your advice about her
costume."

Madeleine knew how to rebuke impertinence in spite of her natural
gentleness, and the very mildness of her manner made the reproof more
severe. She had thoroughly comprehended Madame de Fleury's tactics, and
had determined to make her understand that when she visited Mademoiselle
de Gramont, the visit was paid to an equal, not to the mantua-maker upon
whose time the public had a claim.

"Say to Madame de Fleury that I leave all affairs of this nature in your
hands, and that I have perfect reliance on your good taste."

Ruth withdrew.

"Let us go to your boudoir, Madeleine," said Maurice.

Madeleine, as she complied, remarked,--

"You are troubled to-day, Maurice; two bright spots are burning upon
your cheeks; you look excited; what has happened?"

"Much or little, as it may prove," replied Maurice, taking a seat beside
her. "In the first place, my grandmother has concluded to leave
Washington in a week, and, after she reaches New York, take the first
steamer to Havre."

Maurice had given this intelligence so suddenly that Madeleine was off
her guard, and the rapid varying of her color, the heaving breast, the
look of anguish, the broken voice in which she exclaimed, "So soon? so
very soon?" rekindled his expiring hopes.

"This has been but a brief meeting, Madeleine, after the separation of
those long, sorrowful years. The future is all uncertain, I cannot fix a
time, after I have said adieu, when I may clasp this dear hand again."

"But," faltered Madeleine, "your profession,--you will not abandon that?
You will return to Charleston?"

"It is my earnest desire to do so."

"Then you _will_ return! You will return soon?"

Maurice must have been the dullest of lovers if he could not distinguish
the intonation of joy in Madeleine's voice.

"If my own advancement is the only incentive to my return, circumstances
may interfere; my father's health, for instance, the necessity of
attending to his affairs, or other considerations."

Madeleine did not reply.

"Madeleine, I shall offend you, perhaps