es.
Little by little the slowly approaching figures sharpened and fixed
themselves upon his sight, until when the pair could not have been more
than fifty feet away, the rector looked suddenly up in alarm, as Loring
halted short.

"My dear young friend, how thoughtless I am! Are you not well? What is
wrong?"

A big wooden house, in whose windows the lights were feebly shining,
stood just a few paces back of the fence, back of the gate where now the
pair was standing, in low whispered talk, eager and impetuous on part of
the man, doubtful and reluctant on part of the girl. Then the former
became suddenly aware that two men were standing only a short distance
away, observing:

"Then, good-night," he said. "You think it over;" and, without raising
his hat, turned sharply and went striding back the way they came.

Only one glance did Loring give that receding figure, but his eyes
followed that of the girl, who skimmed lightly up the steps and into the
house, banging the door behind her.

The rector was clinging to his arm and looking into his face with much
concern when Loring pulled himself together.

"This is Mrs. Burton's," said he. "Let us enter. Surely you need a glass
of wine, or--water," he added vaguely.

"Thank you, Mr. Lambert, not--there. Let us turn about."

CHAPTER XX.

Within the fortnight that followed came a climax in the life of Loring,
and astrologers who could have heard would have made much of such a
combination of strange influences. Having told the General that it was
his desire to find a quiet place in the northwestern section of the new
city, Loring had moved back to the hotel. Having told the rector he
desired to obtain table board at Mrs. Burton's, it of course resulted
that the worthy ecclesiastic should speak to her at first opportunity,
and that she should speedily come in search of Mr. Loring to inquire why
he had failed to carry out his plan, and further, to intimate that on
the strength of the rector's representations she had ordered a much
nicer set of china, and laid in a stock of provisions that just then
were to be had at lower rates, which, except that she expected him, she
could not have thought of doing. Indeed, Mrs. Burton not only called
once at his office, but followed it up by a visit to his lodging, where
she shed tears in the presence of the person from whom he rented his
rooms, and, this still proving ineffectual, she came again to department
headquarters wit