he made no remark on her evident unwillingness to open her
mouth, but a feverish look of her eyes touched him with some kindly
alarm for her.

"You should not have come out, if you think you are in any danger," he
said.

"Not if we walk fast," she replied, in a visibly-controlled excitement.
"It will be over in an hour. This way."

She led the marvelling gentleman toward the row, and across it under
the big black elms, begging him to walk faster. To accommodate her, he
suggested, that if they had any distance to go, they might ride, and
after a short calculating hesitation, she consented, letting him know
that she would tell him on what expedition she was bound whilst they
were riding. The accompaniment of the wheels, however, necessitated a
higher pitch of her voice, which apparently caused her to suffer from a
contraction of the throat, for she remained silent, with a discouraged
aspect, her full brown eyes showing as in a sombre meditation beneath
the thick brows. The direction had been given to the City. On they went
with the torrent, and were presently engulfed in fog. The roar grew
muffled, phantoms poured along the pavement, yellow beamless lights were
in the shop-windows, all the vehicles went at a slow march.

"It looks as if Business were attending its own obsequies," said Sir
Purcell, whose spirits were enlivened by an atmosphere that confirmed
his impression of things.

Emilia cried twice: "Oh! what cruel weather!" Her eyelids blinked,
either with anger or in misery.

They were set down a little beyond the Bank, and when they turned from
the cabman, Sir Purcell was warm in his offer of his arm to her, for he
had seen her wistfully touching what money she had in her pocket, and
approved her natural good breeding in allowing it to pass unmentioned.

"Now," he said, "I must know what you want to do."

"A quiet place! there is no quiet place in this City," said Emilia
fretfully.

A gentleman passing took off his hat, saying, with City politeness,
"Pardon me: you are close to a quiet place. Through that door, and
the hall, you will find a garden, where you will hear London as if it
sounded fifty miles off."

He bowed and retired, and the two (Emilia thankful, Sir Purcell tending
to anger), following his indication, soon found themselves in a most
perfect retreat, the solitude of which they had the misfortune, however,
of destroying for another, and a scared, couple.

Here Emilia said: "I have determ