anied by Mr. Neuilly. They were asked to go up to Mr.
Mitchel's apartments, and there they were greeted by that gentleman as
affably as though they had been of his wedding party. Indeed he began
the conversation in rather a jocular way, saying:

"Ah! Mr. Barnes, delighted that now I can entertain you more at my
leisure. This morning you see I was in a great hurry. You called at a
very inopportune time, and I am afraid that I was rather abrupt."

"Mr. Mitchel, I am not in the humor for nonsense. This is a very serious
visit, I assure you. This gentleman is Mr. Neuilly, of New Orleans, and
he has come all this distance to aid the cause of justice."

"Delighted to meet you, Mr. Neuilly, I am sure," said Mr. Mitchel,
approaching and extending his hand so cordially that the elder man took
it, though he had thought that he would rather handle hot coals than the
hand of the man who he supposed was guilty of wronging the daughter of
his old friend in the South. Mr. Mitchel did not seem to notice his
agitation, but begging them to be seated, he himself took a comfortable
chair and continued: "Now, Mr. Barnes, I am wondering if it is possible
that you have traced my wife's ruby as far away as New Orleans?"

"I have not been looking for it. I suppose you know why I wished to stop
your marriage?"

"Why, no; not precisely. What was your reason?"

"If you do not know it, why did you get married yesterday?"

"I might reply that it is often done, but I will be honest and tell you
that such a procedure never occurred to me till I heard that you were
coming home. Then, you see, I thought that you might take the idea into
your head--you do get odd notions, you must admit--that I ought not to
get married just now. I knew you well enough to believe that if you did
harbor a thought of that nature you would not hesitate to interfere. I
did you no injustice there, for that is just what you tried to do, you
see. Consequently, as I had set my heart on being married in the
Cathedral precisely at the time appointed, I just took the bull by the
horns and persuaded my little girl to marry me yesterday. That is my
story in full, I assure you. Now, what was your object?"

"You know it very well, and all this yarning is pure bluster. You know
well enough that I wanted to use Miss Emily Remsen as a witness against
you, and that I could not do so after she became Mrs. Mitchel."

"Oh! Well, yes; I admit that idea was in my mind, Mr. Barnes. And
n