d and his
ears dinned with the wonderful sights and sounds of this great roaring
city--that seemed to have the population of all the world pouring
through its streets--he would say nothing at all. At last the cab
stopped; the two men were opposite the Piccadilly Theatre.

Then Hamish got out and left his cousin with the cab, He ascended the
wide steps; he entered the great vestibule; and he had a letter in his
hand. The old man had not trembled so much since he was a schoolboy.

"What do you want, my man?" some one said, coming out of the box-office
by chance. Hamish showed the letter.

"I wass to hef an answer, sir if you please, sir, and I will be
opliged," said Hamish, who had been enjoined to be very courteous.

"Take it round to the stage entrance," said the man, carelessly.

"Yes, sir, if you please, sir," said Hamish; but he did not understand;
and he stood.

The man looked at him; called for some one: a young lad came, and to him
was given the letter.

"You may wait here, then," said he to Hamish; "but I think rehearsal is
over, and Miss White has most likely gone home."

The man went into the box-office again; Hamish was left alone there, in
the great empty vestibule. The Piccadilly Theatre had seldom seen within
its walls a more picturesque figure than this old Highlandman, who stood
there with his sailor's cap in his hand, and with a keen excitement in
the proud and fine face. There was a watchfulness in the gray eyes like
the watchfulness of an eagle. If he twisted his cap rather nervously,
and if his heart beat quick, it was not from fear.

Now, when the letter was brought to Miss White, she was standing in one
of the wings, laughing and chatting with the stage manager. The laugh
went from her face. She grew quite pale.

"Oh, Mr. Cartwright," said she, "do you think I could go down to Erith
and be back before six in the evening?"

"Oh yes, why not?" said he carelessly.

But she scarcely heard him. She was still staring at that sheet of
paper, with its piteous cry of the sick man. Only to see her once
more--to shake hands in token of forgiveness--to say good-by for the
last time: what woman with the heart of a woman could resist this
despairing prayer?

"Where is the man who brought this letter?" said she.

"In front, miss," said the young lad, "by the box-office."

Very quickly she made her way along the gloomy and empty corridors, and
there in the twilit hall she found the gray-haired old