hemselves between us, and I was
obliged to return to my office with my doubts unsolved.

I think I never experienced a longer day; but it passed, and at five
_o'clock I_ had the satisfaction of inquiring for Mr. Clavering at the
Hoffman House. Judge of my surprise when I learned that his visit to
my office was his last action before taking passage upon the steamer
leaving that day for Liverpool; that he was now on the high seas, and
all chance of another interview with him was at an end. I could scarcely
believe the fact at first; but after a talk with the cabman who
had driven him off to my office and thence to the steamer, I became
convinced. My first feeling was one of shame. I had been brought face to
face with the accused man, had received an intimation from him that he
was not expecting to see me again for some time, and had weakly gone on
attending to my own affairs and allowed him to escape, like the simple
tyro that I was. My next, the necessity of notifying Mr. Gryce of this
man's departure. But it was now six o'clock, the hour set apart for my
interview with Mr. Harwell. I could not afford to miss that, so merely
stopping to despatch a line to Mr. Gryce, in which I promised to visit
him that evening, I turned my steps towards home. I found Mr. Harwell
there before me.

XX. "TRUEMAN! TRUEMAN! TRUEMAN!"

"Often do the spirits
Of great events stride on before the events,
And in to-day already walks to-morrow."
Coleridge.

INSTANTLY a great dread seized me. What revelations might not this man
be going to make! But I subdued the feeling; and, greeting him with what
cordiality I could, settled myself to listen to his explanations.

But Trueman Harwell had no explanations to give, or so it seemed; on
the contrary, he had come to apologize for the very violent words he had
used the evening before; words which, whatever their effect upon me, he
now felt bound to declare had been used without sufficient basis in fact
to make their utterance of the least importance.

"But you must have thought you had grounds for so tremendous an
accusation, or your act was that of a madman."

His brow wrinkled heavily, and his eyes assumed a very gloomy
expression. "It does not follow," he returned. "Under the pressure of
surprise, I have known men utter convictions no better founded than mine
without running the risk of being called mad."

"Surprise? Mr. Clavering's face or form must; then, have bee