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“‘At last, my darling!’ I cried in passionate tones.

“By Jupiter, it was the other girl, though!

“I sprang back in horror. The girl looked at me for a moment. Then she blushed; then she frowned; then–why, then she began to laugh consumedly. I was amazed.

“‘”At last,” you call it,’ she gasped. ‘I call it “at first”‘; and she laughed merrily and melodiously. She certainly had a nice laugh, that girl.

“Now, concerning what follows, I have, since then, entertained some doubts whether I behaved in all respects discreetly. You will allow that the position was a difficult one, but it is, I admit, very possible that my wisest course would have been to make an apology and turn tail as quickly as I could. Well, I didn’t. I thought that I owed the lady a full explanation. Besides, I wanted a full explanation myself. Finally (oh, yes, I see you fellows grinning and winking), Mary was not there, and this young lady rather interested me. I decided that I would have five minutes’ talk with her; then I would run back and find Mary.

“‘I must beg a thousand pardons,’ I began, ‘but I took you for somebody else.”

“‘Oh, of course,’ said she, with a shrug, ‘it’s always that.’

“‘You appear incredulous,’ said I, rather offended.

“‘Well, and if I am?’ said she.

“My feelings were hurt. I produced Mary’s second note.

“‘If I can trust to your discretion, I’ll prove what I say,’ I remarked in a nettled tone.

“‘I shall be very curious to hear the proof, sir, and I will be most discreet,’ she said. She was pouting, but her eyes danced. Really, she looked very pretty–although, of course, I would not for a moment compare her with Lady Mary.

“‘A lady,’ said I, ‘was so kind as to tell me to seek her here this morning.’

“‘Oh, as if I believed that!’

“I was piqued.

“‘There’s the proof,’ I cried, flinging the note into her lap.

“She took it up, glanced at it, and gave a little shriek.

“‘Where did you get this?’

“‘Why, from the head waiter.’

“‘Oh, the fool!’ she cried. ‘It’s mine.’

“‘Yours? nonsense! He gave me that and another last night.’

“‘Oh, the stupidity! They were for–they were not for you. They were for–someone who is to arrive.’

“I pointed at the signature and gasped, ‘M.! Do you sign M.?’

“‘Yes; my name’s–my name begins with M. Oh, if I’d only seen that waiter this morning! Oh, the idiot!’

“Then I believe I swore.

“‘Madame,’ said I, ‘I’m ruined! No harm is done to you–I’m a man of honor–but I’m ruined. On the strength of your wretched notes, madame, I’ve cut the girl I love best in the world–cut her dead–dead–dead!’

“‘What? That young lady in the—- Oh, you thought they were from her? Oh, I see? How–how–oh, how very amusing!’ And the heartless little wretch went off into another peal of laughter.

“‘You pretended not to know her! Oh, dear! oh, dear!’ and her laughter echoed among the trees again. ‘I saw her looking at you, and you ate on like a pig! Oh, dear! oh, dear!’

“‘Stop laughing!’ said I savagely.

“‘Oh, I’m very sorry, but I can’t. What a scrape you’ve go into! Oh, me!’ And she wiped her eyes (they were as blue as her cloak) with a delicate bit of a handkerchief.

“‘You shan’t laugh,’ said I. ‘Who were your notes for?’

“‘Somebody I expected. He hasn’t come. The waiter took you for him, I suppose. I never thought of his being so stupid. Oh, what a brute she must have thought you!’ And she began to laugh again.

“I had had enough of it. I hate being laughed at.

“‘If you go on laughing,’ said I, ‘I’ll kiss you again.’

“The threat was a failure; she did not appear at all alarmed.

“‘Not you!’ she said, laughing worse than ever.

“I should like you fellows to understand that my heart never wavered in its allegiance to Lady Mary–my conscience is quite clear as to that–but I had pledged my word. I caught that tiresome girl round the waist and I kissed her once–I’m sure of once, anyhow. She gasped and struggled, laughing still. Then, with a sudden change of voice, she cried, ‘Stop’, stop!’