generally the favourite resort of nursemaids and
their small charges, was nearly empty, and he
wandered on in almost complete solitude among
the trees until he came to the round pond. In
the retirement of that lovely place he tried to
collect his thoughts and calm the agitation of
his mind. At last he had found her! He had
no project, no plan, and he hardly felt any desire
to make one. He knew where she lived; she
could escape him no more. He had found her!
All the harassing anxiety of the last weary
months seemed to roll away in one long deep
sigh of relief. It was enough, and he sat down
to enjoy the new, divine sense of rest in which
his heart was steeped.

Edward Saville passed once more before the
cottage on his way back to the nursery-garden;
no one was to be seen, but he heard the sound
of a pianoforte, which was being played upon
in a masterly manner. After executing Mrs.
Brande's commission, he asked the shopkeeper
who the ladies were whom he had seen there
in the morning.

"Well, sir," said the man, "they're foreign
ladies; they come down a'most every morning
between twelve and one o'clock, and buy as
many lilies of the valley as I can cut for them.
I have sent flowers down to the house once or
twice; they live at Home Cottage; it's a long low
house, sir, a good bit further down the road."

This he knew. "Did you say they were
foreign?" he inquired.

"Yes, sir; I've got the name down in my
book." The man opened his book and pointed
to a direction that was written in it. Mr. Saville
read: "Mrs. Hausmann, Home Cottage,
Bayswater-road."

The next morning, by twelve o'clock, he was
at the garden, and made the gardener cut him
all the lilies of the valley that were out. He
had made up his mind to leave them at the
cottage anonymously, and trust to the feminine
instinct of the pale lady to guess from whom
they came. He had just paid for the flowers,
when he saw the two well-known figures arrive.
They passed through the shop, and went up the
broad pathway to speak to the gardener: Mr.
Saville was in a side-walk, and watched the
conversation from a distance. He saw the
man point to him and shake his head they
were evidently being told that there were no
lilies for them this morning. He changed his
mind at once, and decided that, instead of
leaving the flowers at the house, he would offer
them in person. He went into the shop and
waited; the ladies took a little turn in the
grounds, and then came back. They entered
the shop, and he was just preparing to speak to
them, when the pale lady, who was passing close
to him, suddenly snatched the flowers out of
his hand, and, without a word, made for the
carriage, followed by her companion, who was
in fits of laughter. Encouraged by this
extraordinary freedom of manner in both the women,
Edward proceeded at once towards the cottage.
He had not gone a hundred paces before the old
man-servant met and passed him on the road.
He hastened on and rung at the door; it was
opened this time by a little maid-of-all-work.

"Is Madame Hausmann at home?" said he.

"No, she's out," answered the girl.

"But the other ladies, are they at home?"

"Yes, Miss Elizabeth came in about twenty
minutes ago."

"Oh, that was Miss Elizabeth, was it? I
have just met her with her maid at the nursery-
garden; will you take in my card, and ask if she
will be kind enough to receive me?"

"There ain't no maid but me, and you've
made a mistake," said the girl, "and it's no use
my taking in the card, they never sees any one."

"But there were two ladies; if one was Miss
Elizabeth, who was the other one?" said
Edward. "Don't be in such a hurry, my dear,"
he continued, as he saw the door, which she
held in her hand, preparing to close upon him as
before, "you shan't lose by doing me a good
turn." And he gave her half-a-crown.

"Well, there was only Miss Elizabeth and
Countess Vander, but it's no use your asking to
see them; I've been here near upon two years
now, and never let any one in yet: two or three
is come like you, but they never got in; I tell
you, they sees no one."

"Jane!" cried an angry voice from above,
"who are you gossiping with all this time?
Shut the door this minute, and go back to your
work!"

She slammed the door to, and Edward Saville
turned away. Madame Hausmann, Miss Elizabeth,
and Countess Vander, what an odd hash it
all was! He was so deep in his brown study,
that he did not see where he was going, and ran
right up against a handsome man with a fair
beard who was coming along at a swinging
pace in the opposite direction. By an unerring
instinct of the heart, Edward Saville knew that
he was going to the cottage, and turned to look
after him. He was right enough; but the stranger
was more fortunate than he, for, without asking
a single question, when Jane opened the door
the young man entered the house.

Edward retraced his steps, and, as he
walked slowly before the cottage, he could hear
the man's voice and sounds of laughter from
within. He went past, and looking up at the
spruce villa that was next door (Europa Point
it was called), he saw "To Let" in the windows
of the first floor. He immediately asked to see
the mistress of the house, inquired about terms,
and was so liberal, and made himself so accommodating,
that he not only settled everything then
and there, but, by dint of a sovereign or two
more judiciously thrown in, persuaded the landlady
to allow him to instal himself in the mansion,
which he had taken for three mouths certain,
that very evening.

He arrived about eight o'clock, having given
out to all his friends, and at his club, that he
was going to leave town. Just as he had
jumped out of the cab, and was paying the man,
he glanced up at the next cottage. One of the
top windows was open, and he saw the young
companion of the pale lady looking steadily