melius; the end is not
yet.' She put her hands on my head, and drew it down to her. 'You will
come back to me,' she whispered--and kissed me on the forehead, before
them all. When I looked up again, she was gone. I have neither seen her
nor heard from her since. It's all told, gentlemen--and some of it has
distressed me in the telling. Let me go away for a minute by myself, and
look at the sea."

BOOK THE SECOND. AMELIUS IN LONDON

CHAPTER 1

Oh, Rufus Dingwell, it is such a rainy day! And the London street which
I look out on from my hotel window presents such a dirty and such a
miserable view! Do you know, I hardly feel like the same Amelius who
promised to write to you when you left the steamer at Queenstown. My
spirits are sinking; I begin to feel old. Am I in the right state of
mind to tell you what are my first impressions of London? Perhaps I may
alter my opinion. At present (this is between ourselves), I don't like
London or London people--excepting two ladies, who, in very different
ways, have interested and charmed me.

Who are the ladies? I must tell you what I heard about them from Mr.
Hethcote, before I present them to you on my own responsibility.

After you left us, I found the last day of the voyage to Liverpool dull
enough. Mr. Hethcote did not seem to feel it in the same way: on the
contrary, he grew more familiar and confidential in his talk with me. He
has some of the English stiffness, you see, and your American pace was
a little too fast for him. On our last night on board, we had some more
conversation about the Farnabys. You were not interested enough in the
subject to attend to what he said about them while you were with us; but
if you are to be introduced to the ladies, you must be interested now.
Let me first inform you that Mr. and Mrs. Farnaby have no children; and
let me add that they have adopted the daughter and orphan child of Mrs.
Farnaby's sister. This sister, it seems, died many years ago, surviving
her husband for a few months only. To complete the story of the past,
death has also taken old Mr. Ronald, the founder of the stationer's
business, and his wife, Mrs. Farnaby's mother. Dry facts these--I don't
deny it; but there is something more interesting to follow. I have next
to tell you how Mr. Hethcote first became acquainted with Mrs. Farnaby.
Now, Rufus, we are coming to something romantic at last!

It is some time since Mr. Hethcote ceased to perform his clerica