The
young man described as an opera-singer rose with grim civility, and
placed chairs for his visitors.

'Caught you, thank God!' said the old gentleman breathlessly.

'Yes, worse luck, my lord!' murmured Signor Smithozzi, in native London-
English, that distinguished alien having, in fact, first seen the light
in the vicinity of the City Road. 'She would have been mine to-morrow.
And I think that under the peculiar circumstances it would be
wiser--considering how soon the breath of scandal will tarnish a lady's
fame--to let her be mine to-morrow, just the same.'

'Never!' said the old man. 'Here is a lady under age, without
experience--child-like in her maiden innocence and virtue--whom you have
plied by your vile arts, till this morning at dawn--'

'Lord Quantock, were I not bound to respect your gray hairs--'

'Till this morning at dawn you tempted her away from her father's roof.
What blame can attach to her conduct that will not, on a full explanation
of the matter, be readily passed over in her and thrown entirely on you?
Laura, you return at once with me. I should not have arrived, after all,
early enough to deliver you, if it had not been for the disinterestedness
of your cousin, Captain Northbrook, who, on my discovering your flight
this morning, offered with a promptitude for which I can never
sufficiently thank him, to accompany me on my journey, as the only male
relative I have near me. Come, do you hear? Put on your things; we are
off at once.'

'I don't want to go!' pouted the young lady.

'I daresay you don't,' replied her father drily. 'But children never
know what's best for them. So come along, and trust to my opinion.'

Laura was silent, and did not move, the opera gentleman looking
helplessly into the fire, and the lady's cousin sitting meditatively
calm, as the single one of the four whose position enabled him to survey
the whole escapade with the cool criticism of a comparative outsider.

'I say to you, Laura, as the father of a daughter under age, that you
instantly come with me. What? Would you compel me to use physical force
to reclaim you?'

'I don't want to return!' again declared Laura.

'It is your duty to return nevertheless, and at once, I inform you.'

'I don't want to!'

'Now, dear Laura, this is what I say: return with me and your cousin
James quietly, like a good and repentant girl, and nothing will be said.
Nobody knows what has happened as yet, and if we star