en
pennies; one half-crown, the tacit apology of the old gentleman who
had left early, was the only respectable offering. Appleton took out a
sovereign, and then was afraid to put it in the collection for fear of
exciting the singer's curiosity, so he rummaged his pockets for
half-crowns and two-shilling pieces. Finding only two or three, he
changed his mind and put back the gold-piece just in time to avoid the
eye of the page, who came to take the offering back to Miss Tucker.
Appleton twisted his mustache nervously, and walked slowly toward the
anteroom with no definite idea in mind, save perhaps that she might
issue from her retreat and recognize him as she passed. (As a matter
of fact she had never once noticed him on the steamer, but the poor
wretch was unconscious of that misfortune!) The page came out, putting
something in his pocket, and left the door half open behind him.
Appleton wheeled swiftly, feeling like a spy, but not until he had
seen Miss Thomasina Tucker take a large copper coin from the plate,
fling it across the room, bury the plate of silver upside down in a
sofa cushion, and precipitate herself upon it with a little quivering
wail of shame, or disappointment, or rage, he could hardly determine
which.

Appleton followed the unfeeling, unmusical, penurious old ladies and
gentlemen back into the lounge, glaring at them as belligerently and
offensively as a gentleman could and maintain his self-respect. Then
he went into the waiting-room and embarked upon a positive orgy of
letter-writing. Looking up from the last of his pile a half-hour
later, he observed the young lady who was unconsciously preventing a
proper flow of epistolary inspiration on his part, seated at a desk in
the opposite corner. A pen was in her right hand, and in her left she
held a tiny embroidered handkerchief, rather creased. Sometimes she
bit the corner of it, sometimes she leaned her cheek upon it,
sometimes she tapped the blotting-pad with the pen-handle, very much
as if she had no particular interest in what she was doing, or else
she was very doubtful about the wisdom of it.

Presently she took some pennies from a small purse, and rising, took
her letters with her with the evident intention of posting them.
Appleton rose too, lifting his pile of correspondence, and followed
close at her heels. She went to the office, laid down threepence, with
her letters, turned, saw Fergus Appleton with the physical eye, but
looked direc