his, but was scarcely surprised. It
was only a fresh proof of her infatuation.

So after a few moments of silent thoughtfulness he left the room.

CHAPTER XLIV.

A STRANGE ENCOUNTER.

On the day after Gualtier's interview with Hilda, Lord Chetwynde was
still in London, occupied with the business which had brought him
there. It was between ten and eleven in the morning, and he was
walking down Piccadilly on his way to the City, where he had an
appointment with his solicitors. He was very much preoccupied, and
scarcely noticed any thing around him. Walking on in this mood he
felt his arm seized by some one who had come up behind him, and a
voice exclaimed:

"Windham! by all that's great! How are you, old fellow?" and before
he had time to recover from his surprise his hand was seized,
appropriated, and nearly wrung off by Obed Chute.

To meet Obed Chute thus in London was certainly strange, yet not so
very much so, after all. London is vast, multitudinous, enormous--a
nation rather than a city, as De Quincey well remarks--a place where
one may hide and never be discovered; yet after all there are certain
streets where strangers are most frequent, and that two strangers
should meet one another here in one of these few thoroughfares is
more common than one would suppose. After the first surprise at such
a sudden greeting Windham felt it to be a very natural thing for Obed
Chute to be in London, and evinced as much pleasure at meeting him as
was shown by the other.

"Have you been here ever since your return to England?" he asked.

"Oh no," said Windham, "I've only been here a short time, and I have
to leave this afternoon."

"I'm sorry for that; I should like to see you--but I suppose it can't
be helped; and then I must go back immediately."

"Ah! You are on your way to America, then?"

"America! Oh no. I mean--go back to Italy."

"Italy?"

"Yes; we're all there yet."

"I hope Miss Chute and your family are all well?" said Lord
Chetwynde, politely.

"Never better," said Obed.

"Where are you staying now?"

"In Naples."

"It's a very pleasant place."

"Too pleasant to leave."

"By-the-way," said Lord Chetwynde, after a pause, and speaking with
assumed indifference, "were you ever able to find out any thing
about--Miss Lorton?"

His indifference was but poorly carried out. At the mention of that
name he stammered, and then stopped short.

But Obed did not notice any peculiarity.

He