e; 'I'm not offended. I'm only
disappointed in you. Don't apologize, for you'll only make it worse.'

"'Well,' said I, 'I'm very much obliged to you for your advice--but
circumstances over which I have no control prevent me from taking it.
There--is that satisfactory?'

"'Quite, 'said Louie, and her old smile returned.

"'Do you wish me to tell you what the circumstances are?'

"'Oh, no--oh, don't--' she cried, with an absurd affectation of
consternation. 'Oh, Captain Randolph--please. Ple-e-e-aase, Captain
Randolph--don't.'

"So I didn't."

"Well, Jack," said I, "how in the world did you manage to carry on such
conversations when the rest of the family were there? Wouldn't they
overhear you?"

"Oh, no. You see they were in one room at their whist, and we were in
the other. Besides, we didn't speak loud enough for them to hear--
except occasionally."

"So Louie didn't take offence."

"Oh, no, we made it up again at once. She gave me a beaming smile as I
left. I'll see her again this evening."

"And the others through the day?"

"Oh, yes," said Jack, with a sigh.

"Miss Phillips?"

"Of course--and then I get a note from Number Three, requiring an
immediate answer--and then off I go to the widow, who will have a new
grievance; and then, after being used up by all these, I fly to Louie
for comfort and consolation."

I shook my head.

"You're in for it, old chap," I said, solemnly, "and all that I can say
is this: Take Louie's advice, and flit."

"Not just yet, at any rate," said Jack, rising; and with these words he
took his departure.

CHAPTER XIX.

O'HALLORAN'S AGAIN.--A STARTLING REVELATION.--THE LADY OF THE ICE.
--FOUND AT LAST.--CONFUSION, EMBARRASSMENT, RETICENCE, AND SHYNESS,
SUCCEEDED BY WIT, FASCINATION, LAUGHTER, AND WITCHING SMILES.

After waiting impatiently all day, and beguiling the time in various
ways, the hour at length came when I could go to O'Halloran's. I
confess, my feelings were of rather a tumultuous description. I would
see the ladies again. I would renew my endeavors to find out the great
mystery of the ice. Such were my intentions, and I had firmly resolved
to make direct questions to Nora and Marion, and see if I couldn't
force them, or coax them, or argue them, into an explanation of their
strange agitation. Such an explanation, I felt, would be a discovery of
the object of my search.

Full of these thoughts, intentions, and determinations, I knocked at
O'