d once more she walked slowly away.

"Is she going home, papa?' the child asked.

"We will try and find out," the father answered.

He was by this time convinced that the poor creature was in no condition
to be permitted to go out without some one to take care of her.
From motives of humanity, he was resolved on making the attempt to
communicate with her friends.

III.

THE lady left the Gardens by the nearest gate; stopping to lower
her veil before she turned into the busy thoroughfare which leads to
Kensington. Advancing a little way along the High Street, she entered a
house of respectable appearance, with a card in one of the windows which
announced that apartments were to let.

Mr. Rayburn waited a minute--then knocked at the door, and asked if he
could see the mistress of the house. The servant showed him into a room
on the ground floor, neatly but scantily furnished. One little white
object varied the grim brown monotony of the empty table. It was a
visiting-card.

With a child's unceremonious curiosity Lucy pounced on the card, and
spelled the name, letter by letter: "Z, A, N, T," she repeated. "What
does that mean?"

Her father looked at the card, as he took it away from her, and put it
back on the table. The name was printed, and the address was added in
pencil: "Mr. John Zant, Purley's Hotel."

The mistress made her appearance. Mr. Rayburn heartily wished himself
out of the house again, the moment he saw her. The ways in which it
is possible to cultivate the social virtues are more numerous and
more varied than is generally supposed. This lady's way had apparently
accustomed her to meet her fellow-creatures on the hard ground of
justice without mercy. Something in her eyes, when she looked at Lucy,
said: "I wonder whether that child gets punished when she deserves it?"

"Do you wish to see the rooms which I have to let?" she began.

Mr. Rayburn at once stated the object of his visit--as clearly, as
civilly, and as concisely as a man could do it. He was conscious (he
added) that he had been guilty perhaps of an act of intrusion.

The manner of the mistress of the house showed that she entirely agreed
with him. He suggested, however, that his motive might excuse him. The
mistress's manner changed, and asserted a difference of opinion.

"I only know the lady whom you mention," she said, "as a person of the
highest respectability, in delicate health. She has taken my first-floor
apartments, with e