e."

Madam Imbert advised her to be patient, and to be careful not to do De
Forest an injustice by judging him wrongfully. "You don't know," she
remarked, "but that he really loves you, and was only trying to see if
you were receiving other company." They conversed for some time on the
subject, and Madam Imbert finally found that Mrs. Maroney was very much
inclined to take her view of the subject. She said she really thought De
Forest loved her, and perhaps she had been too hasty with him. It was
Madam Imbert's best plan to take this course, as it would show what a
disinterested friend she was. She wanted to keep watch on Cox's house,
but in such a manner as not to excite suspicion.

Mrs. Maroney said she would write to Nat. and explain the matter, but
said she would like to find out who had written to her husband. Madam
Imbert and she cogitated over the subject for some time, but could not
decide upon any particular person. Finally Mrs. Maroney concluded she
would take a nap, as she thought she would feel much brighter
afterwards. She said she would write to her husband the first thing
after dinner, and asked the Madam to call a little later and take a walk
with her.

De Forest remained in the hotel all the morning. He did not call on Mrs.
Maroney, and vainly puzzled his brain to determine the cause of her
excitement. He came into the bar-room, where he found Rivers, as serene
as ever, and willing to console any one. In a few minutes Josh., Horton
and Barclay arrived. The _posse_ talked over the trouble of the
preceding night, and De Forest hoped that, as Josh. had come from the
scene of action, he would be able to enlighten him as to the cause of
Mrs. Maroney's strange conduct. But Cox was as much at a loss to account
for her passion as he. Said he: "All I know is that she is a regular
tartar, and no mistake! Whew! Didn't she rave though?"

The Vice-President and I received the reports in Philadelphia, and had a
quiet laugh over them. All was working to suit us.

In the afternoon Madam Imbert walked out with Mrs. Maroney, who had just
finished her letter to her husband. As they walked along she said, "I
told my husband that I knew nothing about the man with the long mustache
further than that he was living in Jenkintown before I left the South;
that when I first arrived here he did several kind things for me, and
had driven me into Philadelphia a few times when I could not get the
train, but that you, Madam Imber