I supposed that he had
passed my hint on to his sister. My predominant feeling was one of
gratification. Mary loved me! Mary expected me! There was complete
mental sympathy between Mary and myself!

"I went up to my room in a state of great contentment. I had been
there about half an hour when my friend the waiter came in. Advancing
toward me with a mysterious air, he took a blank envelope out of his
pocket and held it up before me with a roguish smile.

"'Monsieur will know the handwriting inside,' he said cunningly.

"Now I had never corresponded with Lady Mary, and of course did not
know her handwriting, but I saw no use in telling the waiter that. In
truth, I thought the fellow quite familiar enough. So I said shortly
and with some hauteur:

"'Give me the note;' and I took another piece of gold out of my pocket.
We exchanged our possessions, the waiter withdrew with a wink, and I
tore open the precious note.

"'Whatever you do,' it ran, 'don't recognize me. I am WATCHED. As soon
as I can I will tell you where to meet me. I knew you would come.--M.'

"'The darling!' I exclaimed. 'She's a girl of spirit. I'll take good
care not to betray her. Oh, we'll circumvent old Dibbs between us.'

"At eight o'clock I went down to the salle a manger. It was quite
empty. Mary and Miss Dibbs no doubt dined in their own sitting room,
and there appeared to be no one else in the hotel. However, when I was
halfway through my meal, a stylishly dressed young woman came in and
sat down at a table at the end of the room farthest from where I was.
I should have noticed her more, but I was in a reverie about Mary's
admirable charms, and I only just looked at her; she was frowning and
drumming angrily with her fingers on the table. The head waiter
hurried up to her; his face was covered with smiles, and he gave me a
confidential nod en passant. Nothing else occurred except that a
villainous looking fellow--something, to judge by his appearance,
between a valet and a secretary--thrust his ugly head through the door
three or four times. Whenever he did so the waiter smiled blandly at
him. He did it the last time just as the lady was walking down the
room. Seeing her coming he drew back and held the door open for her
with a clumsy, apologetic bow. She smiled scornfully and passed
through. The waiter stood grinning in the middle of the room, and when
I, in my turn, rose, he whispered to me, 'It's all right, sir.' I w