men! that paragon! with her glorious
hair cropped and her pink-tipped little hands set to beating hemp--he
had a shadowy notion that the lives of all female convicts were
devoted to this pursuit--and groaned in horror.

"In the name of Heaven!" Mr. Woods demanded of his soul, "what
_possible_ reason could she have had for this new insanity? And in the
name of Heaven, why couldn't she have put off her _tete-a-tete_ with
Kennaston long enough to explain? And in the name of Heaven, what does
she see to admire in that putty-faced, grimacing ass, any way! And in
the name of Heaven, what am I to say to this poor, old man here? I
can't explain that his daughter isn't in any danger of being poor, but
merely of being locked up in jail! And in the name of Heaven, how
long does that outrageous angel expect me to remain in this state of
suspense!"

Billy groaned again and paced the vestibule. Then he retraced his
steps, shook hands with Colonel Hugonin once more, and, Kennaston or
no Kennaston, set out to find her.

XVIII

But when he came out upon the terrace, Sarah Ellen Haggage stopped
him--stopped him with a queer blending of diffidence and resolve in
her manner.

The others, by this, had disappeared in various directions, puzzled
and exceedingly uncertain what to do. Indeed, to congratulate Billy
in the Colonel's presence would have been tactless; and, on the other
hand, to condole with the Colonel without seeming to affront the
wealthy Mr. Woods was almost impossible. So they temporised and
fled--all save Mrs. Haggage.

She, alone, remained to view Mr. Woods with newly opened eyes; for
as he paused impatiently--the sculptured Eagle above his head--she
perceived that he was a remarkably handsome and intelligent young man.
Her motherly heart opened toward this lonely, wealthy orphan.

"My dear Billy," she cooed, with asthmatic gentleness, "as an old,
old friend of your mother's, aren't you going to let me tell you how
rejoiced Adele and I are over your good fortune? It isn't polite, you
naughty boy, for you to run away from your friends as soon as they've
heard this wonderful news. Ah, such news it was--such a manifest
intervention of Providence! My heart has been fluttering, fluttering
like a little bird, Billy, ever since I heard it."

In testimony to this fact, Mrs. Haggage clasped a stodgy hand to an
exceedingly capacious bosom, and exhibited the whites of her eyes
freely. Her smile, however, remained unchang