egan. A letter was brought in from the post-office. It was
from lumber Three."

"Number Three?" I cried.

"Number Three," repeated Jack. "As if it wasn't bad enough already, she
must come forward to add herself to those who were already crushing me
to the earth, and driving me mad. It seemed hard, by Jove! I tell you
what it is, old chap, nobody's so remorseless as a woman. Even my duns
have been more merciful to me than these friends whom I love. It's too
bad, by Jove, it is!

"Well. Number Three's letter was simply tremendous. She had heard every
thing. I've already told you that she keeps the run of me pretty well,
though how she manages it I can't imagine--and now it seems she heard,
on the same day, of my engagement to the widow, and of the arrival of
Miss Phillips, to whom I was also engaged. This news seemed to drive
her wild with indignation. She mentioned these facts to me, and ordered
me to deny them at once. She declared that it was impossible for any
gentleman to act so dishonorably, and said that nothing but the
character of her informant could lead her to ask me to deny such foul
slanders.

"That's the way she put it. That's the style of thing she flung at me
when I was already on my back. That's Number Three for you! And the
worst of it is, I don't know what to say in reply. I tell you what it
is now, Macrorie, that was a pretty tough beginning for the day. I felt
it, and I left my room with a dark presentiment in my mind, and the
same general idea of a brooding thunder-storm, which I had experienced
the evening before.

"Then I went to see Miss Phillips, and this was my frame of mind. I
found her calm, cold, and stiff as an iceberg. Not a single kind word.
No consideration for a fellow at all. I implored her to tell me what
was the matter. She didn't rail at me; she didn't reproach me; but
proceeded in the same cruel, inconsiderate, iceberg fashion, to tell me
what the matter was. And I tell you, old boy, the long and the short of
it was, there was the very mischief to pay, and the last place in
Quebec that I ought to have entered was that particular place. But
then, how did I know? Besides, I wanted to see her."

"What was it?" I asked, seeing Jack hesitate.

"What! Why, who do you think had been there? The widow herself! She had
come to call on Miss Phillips, and came with a fixed design on me. In a
few moments she managed to introduce my name. Trotting me out in that
fashion doesn't strike me