. It has been a romance to see you. It doesn't matter
what I say to you. You didn't know me yesterday, you'll not know me
to-morrow. Let me to-day do a mad sweet thing. Let me imagine in you the
spirit of all the dead women who have trod the terrace-flags that lie
here like sepulchral tablets in the pavement of a church. Let me say I
delight in you!"--he raised her hand to his lips. She gently withdrew it
and for a moment averted her face. Meeting her eyes the next instant I
saw the tears had come. The Sleeping Beauty was awake.

There followed an embarrassed pause. An issue was suddenly presented by
the appearance of the butler bearing a letter. "A telegram, Miss," he
announced.

"Oh what shall I do?" cried Miss Searle. "I can't open a telegram.
Cousin, help me."

Searle took the missive, opened it and read aloud: "I shall be home to
dinner. Keep the American."

III

"KEEP the American!" Miss Searle, in compliance with the injunction
conveyed in her brother's telegram (with something certainly of
telegraphic curtness), lost no time in expressing the pleasure it would
give her that our friend should remain. "Really you must," she said;
and forthwith repaired to the house-keeper to give orders for the
preparation of a room.

"But how in the world did he know of my being here?" my companion put to
me.

I answered that he had probably heard from his solicitor of the other's
visit. "Mr. Simmons and that gentleman must have had another interview
since your arrival in England. Simmons, for reasons of his own, has
made known to him your journey to this neighbourhood, and Mr. Searle,
learning this, has immediately taken for granted that you've formally
presented yourself to his sister. He's hospitably inclined and wishes
her to do the proper thing by you. There may even," I went on, "be more
in it than that. I've my little theory that he's the very phoenix of
usurpers, that he has been very much struck with what the experts have
had to say for you, and that he wishes to have the originality of making
over to you your share--so limited after all--of the estate."

"I give it up!" my friend mused. "Come what come will!"

"You, of course," said Miss Searle, reappearing and turning to me, "are
included in my brother's invitation. I've told them to see about a room
for you. Your luggage shall immediately be sent for."

It was arranged that I in person should be driven over to our little inn
and that I should return