o'clock to-morrow morning--without
the carriage."

As the coachman staggered off, the lady turned to Edith, thanked her
for the service she had performed, and gave her a card bearing a name
and address--"Mrs. I. G. Stewart, Copley Square Hotel, Boston, Mass."

At the solicitation of the lady, Edith gave her name, and stated that
she was the companion to Mrs. Gerald Goddard, of Commonwealth avenue.

This information caused Mrs. Stewart to turn pale, and otherwise
manifest a strange agitation. She quickly recovered, however, and
stated:

"Ah! I was introduced to Mrs. Goddard's brother, Monsieur Correlli, a
few evenings ago, but I have never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs.
Goddard. Now it is time for me to go, and I shall have to take an
electric car to get back to my hotel. Again let me thank you for your
timely service. I hope you and I will meet again some time; and, dear,
if you should ever need a friend, do not fail to come to me.
Good-afternoon."

Shortly after the departure of Mrs. Stewart, as Edith was walking
homeward, she was overtaken by Emil Correlli, who begged permission to
attend her, as they were both bound for the same destination. It would
have been rude to refuse, so Edith consented, although she would have
preferred to go alone.

They had not advanced far before Edith became aware that they were
followed by a woman, who kept parallel with them, on the opposite side
of the street. Monsieur Correlli seemed unconscious of this fact, as
he was apparently engrossed in the effort to entertain his companion
with animated conversation. When they were within a few yards of Mrs.
Goddard's residence, the woman suddenly darted across the avenue and
placed herself directly in their path.

In an instant Emil Correlli seemed turned to stone, so motionless and
rigid did he become. For a full minute his gaze was riveted upon the
stranger, as if in horrible fascination.

"_Giulia!_" he breathed, at last, in a scarcely audible voice. "_Le
diable!_"

The woman had a veil over her face, but Edith could see that she was
very handsome, with a warm, Southern kind of beauty, although it was
of a rather coarse type. She was evidently a foreigner, with brilliant
black eyes, an olive complexion, scarlet lips and cheeks, and a wealth
of purple-black hair, which was coiled in a massive knot at the back
of her head.

She was of medium height, with a plump but exquisitely proportioned
figure, as was revealed by her clo