and waits for mademoiselle."

"I will come! I will come!" exclaimed Caroline, breathlessly, and she
hurried down stairs.

CHAPTER VI.

SOME OLD ACQUAINTANCES GET INTO A CONJUGAL DIFFICULTY.

Lord Hope had a house in Belgravia, that could always be made ready for
the family at a day's notice. So Rachael, who could refuse nothing to
her brother, sent up her steward to make preparations one day, and
followed him the next with Lady Clara and Hepworth Closs; Margaret Casey
and other servants in attendance, of course.

These persons reached London on the very Saturday when Olympia was
stricken with dismay by finding an empty seat or two in her usually well
packed houses. When this discovery first broke upon the prima donna,
Hepworth Closs was sitting quietly in the pit, where he found himself,
as if by accident. They had reached town only in time for a late dinner,
when the ladies, being greatly fatigued, proclaimed their intention of
retiring early, which was, in fact, casting him adrift for the evening.
Being thus let loose upon the world, he very naturally brought up at the
opera, and was seated so near the stage that his eyes more than once
caught those of Olympia, who gave him one of those quick glances of
recognition, which seemed aimed at the whole audience, but hit only one
person.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but isn't she a stunner!" said a voice, as the
first act closed. Hepworth might not have recognized these words as
addressed to himself, but for the weight of a large hand which was laid
on his arm. As it was, he turned promptly, and encountered a stout,
heavy man, handsomely dressed, but for a massive gold chain which passed
across his bosom into his vest pocket, and drooped in glittering lengths
far down the rotundity of his capacious person, and a large diamond that
blazed on his plaited shirt bosom. From the chain and the diamond,
Hepworth's first thought was, that the person must be some Californian
or Australian acquaintance, belonging to his old mining days, but the
man soon set that idea aside.

"You don't happen to remember me, Mr. Hepworth, but I knew you at the
first sight. Ask my lady here. Didn't I say, Mrs. Stacy, that gentleman
with the coal-black mustacher, and them splendid eyes, is Mr. Hepworth,
if ever I set my two eyes on Mr. Hepworth, which I did many a time, when
he used to come to Forty-third street?"

Hepworth started. Forty-third street! Was he to be forever haunted by
the