threshold,
completely taken aback at finding a gentleman in the box, while the
speaker, who had not risen, but leaned back, balancing himself on two
legs of his chair, fell over side-wise in his astonishment, but saved
himself by catching at the partition.

He sprang up the next moment, as Chester recovered himself and advanced,
but neither of the three ladies, who had turned, made the slightest
movement towards acknowledging him, and left it to their companion to
speak.

"May I ask whom you wish to see, sir?"

"Certainly," replied Chester, quietly, "Mrs James, Mrs Dennis, Miss
Clareborough--"

No one moved. He might have been addressing so many statues, as he went
on--

"And Mr Dennis Clareborough."

"You seem to have our names right, sir," said the stalwart young fellow,
shortly, "but I have not the pleasure of knowing you."

"Indeed!" said Chester. "Is your memory so short, sir? May I ask after
your cousin's wound?"

"Certainly, if you like, sir," replied the young man, with a little
laugh, "but I'm afraid I can't tell you."

Chester felt nettled and turned to the lady in the centre, who sat
looking over the back of her chair.

"Perhaps Miss Marion Clareborough will tell me how her brother is
progressing?"

"Dennis," said one of the ladies, before any reply could be made, "is
this a friend of yours? If so, introduce us."

"Friend of mine? Hang it, no! Gentleman has got into the wrong box.
Never saw him before in my life. What number did you want, sir?"

"This," said Chester, sternly, as he looked the young man fiercely in
the eyes. "Perhaps Miss Clareborough will speak. Believe me, I took
great interest in your brother's case. Can I see him again?"

The lady he addressed turned to one of her companions and whispered a
few words, whereupon Mrs James said coldly--

"Will you help this gentleman to find the box he is in search of,
Dennis? The place is so dark now the curtain is down, and he does not
see the mistake he has made."

"No, that's it," said the young man. "Ah, here you are, then, at last,"
he cried, as the entrance was darkened by another figure. "Come in.
This gentleman wants to find some friends of his, and he has come to
this box by mistake."

"Indeed!" and Chester at that one word felt the blood surge up to his
temples, and a fierce sensation of passion began to make his nerves
tingle.

"Well," continued the speaker, "it's very easy, dear boy. Places are so
confoun