knowledgment of the fact, which
was far from evident. When he was gone she sat down to her desk and
wrote to Dr. Claudius. She wrote rapidly in her large hand, and before
long she had covered four pages of notepaper. Then she read it over, and
tore it up. The word "dear" occurred once too often for her taste. Again
the white fingers flew rapidly along the page, but soon she stopped.

"That is too utterly frigid," she said half aloud, with a smile. Then
she tried again.

"DEAR DR. CLAUDIUS--So many thanks for your charming letter, which
I received this morning. Tell me a great deal more, please, and
write _at once_. Tell me everything you do and say and see, for I
want to feel just as though you were here to talk everything over.

"Mr. Barker has been here a good deal lately, and the other day he
told me a story I did not like. But I forgave him, for he seemed so
penitent. Please burn my letters.

"It is very cold and disagreeable, and I really half wish I were in
Europe. Europe is much pleasanter. I have not read a word of
Spencer since you left, but I have thought a great deal about what
you said the last time we did any work together.

"Let me know _positively_ when you are coming back, and let it be
as soon as possible, for I must see you. I am going to see
Salvini, in _Othello_, to-night, with Miss Skeat. He sent me a box,
in memory of a little dinner years ago, and I expect him to call.
He _did_ call, but I could not see him.

"I cannot write any more, for it is dinner-time. Thanks, dear, for
your loving letter. It was sweet of you to post it the same day,
for it caught the steamer.

--In tearing haste, yours, M.

"_P.S._--Answer all my questions, please."

There was an indistinctness about the last word; it might have been
"your," or "yours." The "tearing haste" resolved itself into ringing the
bell to know what time it was, for Margaret had banished the hideous
hotel clock from the room. On finding it was yet early, she sat down in
a deep chair, and warmed her toes at the small wood fire, which was just
enough to be enjoyable and not enough to be hot. It was now the
beginning of October, for Claudius's letter, begun on the 15th of
September, had not been posted until the 21st, and had been a long time
on the way. She wondered when he would get the letter she had just
written. It was not much of a let