who took it; I only know
its destination. Alas! if it is allowed to reach that destination, I am
bereft of hope."

"No love token," I murmured, "and yet your whole peace depends on its
recovery."

"More than my peace," she answered; and with a quick movement she closed
the door which I had left open behind me. As its sharp bang rang
through the room, I realized into what a pitfall I had stumbled. Only a
political intrigue of the most desperate character could account for the
words I had heard and the actions to which I had been a witness. But I
was in no mood to recoil even from such dangers as these, and so my look
showed her as she leaned toward me with the words:

"Listen! I am burdened with a secret. I am in this house, in this city,
for a purpose. The secret is not my own and I cannot part with it;
neither is my purpose communicable. You therefore will be obliged to
deal with the greatest dangers blindfold. One encouragement only I can
give you. You will work for good ends. You are pitted against wrong, not
right, and if you succumb, it will be in a cause you yourself would call
noble. Do I make myself understood, Mr.--Mr. ------"

"Abbott," I put in, with a bow.

She took the bow for an affirmative, as indeed I meant she should. "You
do not recoil," she murmured, "not even when I say that you must take
no third party into your confidence, no matter to what extremity you are
brought."

"I would not be the man I think I am, if I recoiled," I said, smiling.

She waved her hand with almost a stern air.

"Swear!" she commanded; "swear that, from the moment you leave this
door till you return to it, you will breathe no word concerning me, your
errand, or even the oath I am now exacting from you."

"Ah!" thought I to myself, "this is serious." But I took the oath under
the spell of the most forceful personality I had ever met, and did not
regret it--_then_.

"Now let us waste no more time," said she.

"In the large building on ------ Street there is an office with the name
of Dr. Merriam on the door. See! I have written it on this card, so that
there may be no mistake about it. That office is open to patients from
ten in the morning until twelve at noon. During these hours any one can
enter there; but to awaken no distrust, he should have some ailment.
Have you not some slight disorder concerning which you might consult a
physician?"

"I doubt it," said I; "but I might manufacture one."

"That would not