s the best one for
sair een that I know. What a pity I left the boy at the hotel! He was
still asleep. We arrived late last night. I went to wake him, and I give
you my word, I could as soon have thought of waking an angel from a
dream of paradise; the little fellow smiled, you understand, Hildegarde,
and--and moved his little arms, and--I came away, sir,--my dear, I
should say,--and left him to sleep as long as he would. Where are you
going now, my child? have you had breakfast? if not,--"

"Oh, yes, I have had breakfast, dear sir!" said Hildegarde. "And you
were thinking, if I had had it, how pleasant for me to go in and
surprise that blessed lamb in his crib; now, weren't you?"

"The point, as usual!" cried the Colonel. "Country neighbours learn to
know each others' thoughts, they say, but I never believed it, till I
had neighbours. Well, shall we go? Now, upon my soul, this is the most
surprising and delightful thing that has happened to me for forty years.
But you have not told me where you are staying, Hilda, nor why you are
here, nor in fact anything; have simply wormed information out of the
confiding friend, and remained silent yourself!" and the Colonel looked
injured, and twirled his moustaches with mock ferocity.

"I like that!" said Hildegarde. "That really pleases me! Kindly
indicate, dear sir, the moment at which I could have got in a word
edgewise, since you began your highly interesting remarks! I have been
simply panting with eagerness to tell you that I left home yesterday,
and arrived in New York at five o'clock in the afternoon; that I am
staying with my great-aunt in Gramercy Park; that I am wofully homesick,
and that the sound of your voice was the most ecstatic sound I have
heard for half a century."

"Ha!" said the Colonel. "Humph! mockery, I perceive! of the aged, too!
Very well, Miss Grahame, your punishment will be decided hereafter.
Meanwhile, here we are at my hotel, and we will go straight up and wake
the boy,--if he seems to be ready to wake, my dear. I am sure you will
agree with me that it would be a pity to rouse him from a sound sleep.
'Sleep, that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care,' you remember,
Hildegarde!"

"Yes, dear Colonel Ferrers!" said Hildegarde. "But I don't believe
Hugh's sleeve is very deeply ravelled, do you? and indeed, it is high
time for him to be awake."

They turned in at a great white marble portal, and the elevator soon
brought them to the Colonel's door