" said he, still looking at the hastily written lines in pencil,
"and it is as you imagined. Her father has told her we must not see
each other again, and she has refused to be bound by any such
injunction. I rather fancy she thinks he must have conveyed the same
intimation to me; at all events, she has written at once to assure me
that she will not break her promise to me. It was kindly meant; was it
not? I wish Anneli had waited for a second."

He folded up the letter and put it in his pocket-book: it was one more
treasure he should carry with him to America. But when, later on, Evelyn
had left, he took it out again, and re-read again and again the
irregular, hurried, pencilled lines, and thought of the proud, quick,
generous spirit that had prompted them. And was she still awake and
thinking? And could her heart hear, through the silence of the night,
the message of love and gratitude that he sent her? "_Good-night, and
Heaven guard you!_" It had been a troubled and harassing day for him;
but this tender good-night message came in at the close of it like a
strain of sweet music that he would carry with him into the land of
dreams.

CHAPTER XXX.

SOME TREASURES.

The next morning Natalie was sitting alone in the little dining-room,
dressed ready to go out. Perhaps she had been crying a little by
herself; but at all events, when she heard the sound of some one being
admitted at the front-door and coming into the passage, she rose, with a
flush of pleasure and relief appearing on her pale and saddened face. It
was Madame Potecki.

"Ah, it is so good of you to come early," said Natalie to her friend,
with a kind of forced cheerfulness. "Shall we start at once? I have been
thinking and thinking myself into a state of misery; and what is the use
of that?"

"Let me look at you," said the prompt little music mistress, taking both
her hands, and regarding her with her clear, shrewd blue eyes. "No; you
are not looking well. The walk will do you good, my dear. Come away,
then."

But Natalie paused in the passage, with some appearance of
embarrassment. Anneli was standing by the door.

"Remember this, Anneli; if any one calls and wishes to see me--and
particularly wishes to see me--you will not say, 'My mistress is gone
out;' you will say, 'My mistress is gone to the South Kensington Museum
with Madame Potecki.' Do you understand that, Anneli?"

"Yes, Fraulein; certainly."

Then they left, going by way of t