only say that my daughter and Miss O'Neil, in my absence,
opened and read the letter, and have written to Miss Jenrys
in full. I am very anxious to know what they have written.
See Miss J---- at once; it is important. I have no time for
more.

'Yours hastily,

'TRENT.'

As I was turning the key in the lock and about to set out at once for
Washington Avenue, Brainerd came puffing up the stairs.

'He's gone!' he panted, 'and I was afraid you'd be!'

'Do you mean Lossing?'

'Of course! He laid off his regimentals, one of the guards told me,
and put on a swell evening suit, and away he went. Want me to follow
him?'

'Yes,' I answered promptly. 'I can't come home with him, I fear; I
must somehow see the ladies alone. You know the place, Dave, do you
not? He won't stay late, you know.'

I was not greatly surprised to hear of Lossing in Washington Avenue,
for we knew well enough that his first evening's visit would be to
Miss Jenrys. He had been three or four times taken to the gate in a
rolling chair, and had walked from there to the house for a morning
call; but this was his first evening outside the grounds since his
recovery.

As I approached the house I saw that someone was before me, already at
the threshold, and ringing the bell. I could not identify the figure,
because of the two trees which stood one on each side of the stone
steps before the door, the one half concealing his figure, the other
the light at the corner below.

The door opened so promptly that he was admitted before I had left the
pavement, and the visitor, Lossing as I supposed, passed in.

'Poor fellow,' I said to myself, 'I won't come upon his very heels.
I'll give him a few moments, at least, alone with the lady of his
choice,' and I turned away and walked at a moderate pace around the
block. But I could spare him no further grace, and so upon again
reaching the house I ran up the steps and rang hastily.

The rooms occupied by the ladies as parlour and reception rooms were
small and cosy, and thrown together by an arch, beneath which a
_portiere_ was draped, and Miss Ross came forward to greet me at the
doorway of the first of these.

I could hear a murmur of conversation from the farther room, but it
was not until I was standing beneath the curtained archway that I saw,
to my amazement, Lossing and Monsieur Voisin at the farther side of
t