to bed.

The ladies soon dispersed. But no sooner had Mrs. Sarrasin got into her
room than she hastily mounted a dressing-gown and sought out Dolores,
and the two settled down to low-toned earnest talk as though they were a
pair of conspirators--which for a noble purpose they were.

The gentlemen, as usual, went to the billiard-room for cigars and
whisky-and-soda. The two Americans soon professed themselves rather
tired, and took their candles and went off to bed. But even they would
seem not to be quite so sleepy and tired as they may have fancied; for
they both entered the room of Professor Flick and began to talk. It was
a very charming 'apartment' in the French sense. The Professor had a
sitting-room very tastefully furnished and strewn around with various
books on folk-lore; and he had a capacious bedroom. Copping flung
himself impatiently on the sofa.

'Look here,' Copping whispered, 'this business must be done to-night. Do
you hear?--this very night.'

'I know it,' the Professor said almost meekly.

'What have _you_ heard?' Copping asked fiercely. 'Do you know anything
more about Gloria than I know--than I got to know to-night?'

'Nothing more about Gloria, but I know that I am on the straight way to
being found out.' And the Professor drooped.

'Found out? What do you mean? Found out for what?'

'Well, found out for a South American professing to be a Yankee.'

'But who has found you out?'

'That Spanish-London girl--that she-devil--Miss Paulo. She suddenly
talked to me in Spanish--and I was thrown off my guard.'

'You fool!--and you answered her in Spanish?'

'No I didn't--I didn't say a word--but I saw by her look that she knew I
understood her--and you'll see if they don't suspect something.'

'Of course they will suspect something. South Americans passing off as
North Americans! here, here--with _him_ in the house! Why, the light
shines through it! Good heavens, what a fool you are! I never heard of
anything like it!'

'I am always a failure,' the downcast Professor admitted, 'where women
come into the work--or the play.'

The places of the two men appeared to have completely changed. The
Professor was no longer the leader but the led. The silent and devoted
Mr. Andrew J. Copping was now taking the place of leader.

'Well,' Copping said contemptuously, 'you have got your chance just as I
have. If you manage this successfully we shall get our pardon--and if we
don't we shan't.'

'If we f