had ventured far enough for that day.

"May I call again, soon?" he asked piteously.

"No!" answered a voice at the door which they both recognized--the voice
of Mrs. Farnaby.

"Yes!" Regina whispered to him, as her aunt entered the room. Mrs.
Farnaby's interference, following on the earlier events of the day, had
touched the young lady's usually placable temper in a tender place--and
Amelius reaped the benefit of it.

Mrs. Farnaby walked straight up to him, put her hand in his arm, and led
him out into the hall.

"I had my suspicions," she said; "and I find they have not misled me.
Twice already, I have warned you to let my niece alone. For the third,
and last time, I tell you that she is as cold as ice. She will trifle
with you as long as it flatters her vanity; and she will throw you over,
as she has thrown other men over. Have your fling, you foolish fellow,
before you marry anybody. Pay no more visits to this house, unless they
are visits to me. I shall expect to hear from you." She paused, and
pointed to a statue which was one of the ornaments in the hall. "Look at
that bronze woman with the clock in her hand. That's Regina. Be off with
you--goodbye!"

Amelius found himself in the street. Regina was looking out at the
dining-room window. He kissed his hand to her: she smiled and bowed.
"Damn the other men!" Amelius said to himself. "I'll call on her
tomorrow."

CHAPTER 4

Returning to his hotel, he found three letters waiting for him on the
sitting-room table.

The first letter that he opened was from his landlord, and contained his
bill for the past week. As he looked at the sum total, Amelius presented
to perfection the aspect of a serious young man. He took pen, ink,
and paper, and made some elaborate calculations. Money that he had too
generously lent, or too freely given away, appeared in his statement of
expenses, as well as money that he had spent on himself. The result may
be plainly stated in his own words: "Goodbye to the hotel; I must go
into lodgings."

Having arrived at this wise decision, he opened the second letter. It
proved to be written by the lawyers who had already communicated with
him at Tadmor, on the subject of his inheritance.

"DEAR SIR,

"The enclosed, insufficiently addressed as you will perceive, only
reached us this day. We beg to remain, etc."

Amelius opened the letter enclosed, and turned to the signature for
information. The name instantly took him back