them. Let Brooks wait in the hall, and
when they arrive tell him to show them straight up to the room."

"It shall be done, sir."

The head waiter left the room, and the manager stretched himself in his
chair, yawned by way of showing his importance, and then said
solemnly,--

"I don't believe they'll any of them turn up; but if they do, this Dr.
Nikola, whoever he may be, won't be able to find fault with my
arrangements."

Then, leaving the dusty high road of Business, he and his companion
wandered in the shady bridle-paths of Love--to the end that when the
chief bookkeeper returned to her own department she had forgotten the
strange dinner party about to take place upstairs, and was busily
engaged upon a calculation as to how she would look in white satin and
orange blossoms, and, that settled, fell to wondering whether it was
true, as Miss Joyce, a subordinate, had been heard to declare, that the
manager had once shown himself partial to a certain widow with reputed
savings and a share in an extensive egg and dairy business.

At ten minutes to eight precisely a hansom drew up at the steps of the
hotel. As soon as it stopped, an undersized gentleman, with a clean
shaven countenance, a canonical corporation, and bow legs, dressed in a
decidedly clerical garb, alighted. He paid and discharged his cabman,
and then took from his ticket pocket an ordinary white visiting card,
which he presented to the gold-laced individual who had opened the
apron. The latter, having noted the red spot, called a waiter, and the
reverend gentleman was immediately escorted upstairs.

Hardly had the attendant time to return to his station in the hall,
before a second cab made its appearance, closely followed by a third.
Out of the second jumped a tall, active, well-built man of about thirty
years of age. He was dressed in evening dress of the latest fashion, and
to conceal it from the vulgar gaze, wore a large Inverness cape of heavy
texture. He also in his turn handed a white card to the porter, and,
having done so, proceeded into the hall, followed by the occupant of the
last cab, who had closely copied his example. This individual was also
in evening dress, but it was of a different stamp. It was old-fashioned
and had seen much use. The wearer, too, was taller than the ordinary run
of men, while it was noticeable that his hair was snow-white, and that
his face was deeply pitted with smallpox. After disposing of their hats
and coats