d from his
seclusion, and walked home through the trails of mist that hung,
breast-high, on the meadow-land. It was with him under the
street-lamps, and, to its accompanying presence, the strong conviction
grew in him that evasion on his part was no longer possible. Sooner or
later, come what might, the words he had faltered over, even to
himself, would have to be spoken.

XI.

One day, some few weeks later, Madeleine sat at her writingtable,
biting the end of her pen. A sheet of note-paper lay before her; but
she had not yet written a word. She frowned to herself, as she sat.

Hard at work that morning, she had heard a ring at the door-bell, and,
a minute after, her landlady ushered in a visitor, in the shape of Miss
Martin. Madeleine rose from the piano with ill-concealed annoyance, and
having seated Miss Martin on the sofa, waited impatiently for the gist
of her visit; for she was sure that the lively American would not come
to see her without an object. And she was right: she knew to a nicety
when the important moment arrived. Most of the visit was preamble; Miss
Martin talked at length of her own affairs, assuming, with disarming
candour, that they interested other people as much as herself. She went
into particulars about her increasing dissatisfaction with Schwarz, and
retailed the glowing accounts she heard on all sides of a teacher
called Schrievers. He was not on the staff of the Conservatorium; but
he had been a favourite of Liszt's, and was attracting many pupils.
From this, Miss Martin passed to more general topics, such as the blow
Dove had recently received over the head of his attachment to pretty
Susie Fay. "Why, Sue, she feels perfectly DREADFUL about it. She can't
understand Mr. Dove thinking they were anything but real good friends.
Most every one here knew right away that Sue had her own boy down home
in Illinois. Yes, indeed."

Madeleine displayed her want of interest in Dove's concerns so plainly,
that Miss Martin could not do otherwise than cease discussing them. She
rose to end her call. As, however, she stood for the momentary exchange
of courtesies that preceded the hand-shake, she said, in an off-hand
way: "Miss Wade, I presume I needn't inquire if you're acquainted with
the latest about Louise Dufrayer? I say, I guess I needn't inquire,
seeing you're so well acquainted with Mr. Guest. I presume, though, you
don't see so much of him now. No, indeed. I hear he's thrown over all
hi