A Comedy of Terrors

I.

THE MAN WITH THE CHIGNON.

THE elegant residence of Mrs. Lovell, at Montreal, stood just where Blank Street terminates in Dash Street, and its windows commanded an extensive view of the former thoroughfare. A caller was just leaving the house ; while inside was Mrs. Lovell herself, in such a position that she could see out of the window without being visible, and her eyes were fixed upon the caller who was just retiring. This person did not claim her attention long, for he rapidly descended the steps, and, after walking down the street with long, swift strides the length of one block, he turned round the first corner and disappeared.

Upon this Mrs. Lovell withdrew her eyes from the window and stood for a time in deep thought. Standing in this attitude, she showed herself an uncommonly pretty woman. A minute description of her, however, is hardly necessary just now; suffice it to say, that Mrs. Lovell was a widow ; a profound and pronounced brunette; young, wealthy, elegant, joyous, and also very well able to take care of herself in every respect.

After standing thus for some time she left the room, and, ascending the stairs, she entered an apartment at the top, by the landing.

“ O Maudie dear ! ” she exclaimed in an excited voice as she entered, ‘‘who do you think has been here? what do you think has happened ? O dear, it ’s such a worry ! ”

Her abrupt manner and excited words aroused a young girl who was in the room. She was seated in an armchair, one hand supporting her head, and the other one listlessly holding a letter.

“ Well, Georgie dear,” said she, turning her face, “what is it?”

The face which she thus turned was one of extreme beauty and great refinement of feature, and was pervaded by an expression of pensive and quiet sadness. She seemed also as if she might have been dropping a tear or two all by herself. There was a certain family likeness between the two, for they were sisters ; but apart from this they were unlike, and when together this dissimilarity was very conspicuous. Both were brunettes, but the fashion of their features and the expression of their faces were different. In Mrs. Lovell’s face there was a very decided piquancy, and various signs of a light and joyous temperament ; while Maud showed nothing of the kind. At the present moment the sadness of her face might have concealed its real expression ; but any one could see in it the unmistakable signs of a far greater depth of feeling than was known to her sister.

“ Maudie dear ! ” said Mrs. Lovell at length, after some silence.

“ Well, Georgie,” said Maud, languidly.

Mrs, Lovell sighed.

“ I ’m worried out of my life, Maudie. What in the world I am to do I really cannot say. I ’ll tell you what I ’ll do,” she added, after a pause, “ I ’ll go to Paris.”

“ Go to Paris ! ” exclaimed the other, — “ go to Paris ! What do you mean ? What has happened ? What put such a mad fancy as that into your head ? ”

“ I ’ll go to Paris,” said Mrs. Lovell, with a determined tap of her little foot on the floor. “ You see, Maudie, I !ve been thinking of going there so long, and it’s so very convenient for me, and you shall go with me, too, you know; and this is just the time, for if we put it off any longer, we ’ll be too late, won’t we, Maudie ? and so I think we’d better go by the next steamer. What do you say ? ”

At this Maud sat upright, and looked at her sister with an expression of intense astonishment.

“ What in the world do you mean ? ” she asked. “ Go to Paris ! and by the next steamer. Why, Georgie, are you mad ? ”

“Mad ? far from it. I’m really in earnest, you know. I ’m going by the next steamer. O, my mind is quite made up, — quite. You can easily get ready. We need n’t get any new dresses here. It will be so utterly charming to get them in Paris.”

“ I wonder what in the world you do mean,” said Maud, in bewilderment. You can’t be in earnest.”

“ O, but I really am, you know. I’m in trouble, dear, and the only way to get out of it is to go to Paris.”

“Trouble ! ” said Maud, in new surprise ; “you in trouble ! What is it, Georgie dear ? ”

Mrs. Lovell sighed.

“ O well, I’m beginning to be worried out of my life with no end of bothers and torments, and I want to fly from them all.”

“ Bothers and torments?”

“ Yes, bothers and torments.”

“ What ? ”

“ Why, you know, people fancy I like them, and come and try to get me to marry them, when I don’t really want to ; and I’m sure I don’t know what I am to do about it.”

“ People ? what people ? Do you mean any people in particular ? Of course, you must expect to be very much admired ; and I ’m sure you ought n’t to regret it, if you are ; but why that should trouble you I confess I ’m at a loss to see.”

“ O, it is n’t that; it is n’t general admiration, of course. It’s an unpleasant sort of particular admiration that I refer to, that makes people come and bother me with telling me how fond they are of me; and I feel so sorry for them, too ; and I have to give them pain when I don’t want to.”

“ Why, Georgie dear, you talk as though some one had been making a proposal.”

“Of course I do. That’s just what I mean ; and I ’m sure I never gave him any encouragement. Now did I, Maudie darling ? ”

“Him? Who?”

“Why, Mr. Seth Grimes.”

“ Mr. Grimes ! ” exclaimed Maud, with an indescribable accent, staring in a bewildered way at her sister.

“Well ! what’s the matter ?” asked Mrs. Lovell. “ What makes you stare so ? ”

“ Why, Mr. Grimes ! The idea of Mr. Grimes ! Why, Georgie, how could he possibly have ever thought of such a thing ? Mr. Grimes ! ”

And Maud sat looking unutterable things, quite overwhelmed by the one stupendous thought of Mr. Grimes.

“ I ’m sure I don’t see any reason why you should stare so,” said Mrs. Lovell. “If people will come on such errands, I don’t see why Mr. Grimes should not come as well as anybody.”

“Mr. Grimes!” said Maud; “why, it’s perfect audacity.”

“No, it isn’t,” said Mrs. Lovell. “ It is n’t anything of the sort. But I know you never liked him, and your bitter prejudice blinds you to his many admirable qualities.”

“ Liked him ! Why, did you ? ”

“ Well, I have a great fancy for original people, and — and he is one.”

“ Original he certainly is, but I should choose another word.”

“ He’s a man of the people, of course.”

“ That’s a euphemism. For my part, I should use a much harsher word to express my idea of Mr. Grimes, Georgie.”

“ Well, don’t, Maudie dear, or I shall be vexed. At any rate, you see, I liked him because he was so — so original, you know, and you see he has misinterpreted it; and he has thought that because I liked to talk with him I would be equally well pleased to live with him. But that does n’t follow, I ’m sure ; for I know many very, very nice people that I like to talk with, but I’m sure I should n’t at all like to marry them. And that’s the trouble about Mr. Grimes.”

“ I’m sure,” said Maud, contemptuously, “ I do not see why you should tolerate such a person for one moment ; and I ’ve often wondered how you ever became acquainted with him.”

Mrs. Lovell sighed.

“Well, Maudie dear,” said she, “it was very odd, it was really quite an adventure ; and I suppose I may as well tell you all about it.”

“ Yes, do, dear,” said Maud. “ You ’ve kept awfully close about this, you know, Georgie.”

“Well, you know, Maudie dear,” said Mrs. Lovell, after a brief pause, which was taken up with collecting her thoughts, “ I became acquainted with him last year. I was at Niagara. One day I was out, and it was a dreadfully windy day, quite a gale. I had put on my very largest chignon,—awfully thoughtless in me, of course, but then you know that’s the way I always am, — and I pinned it down as securely as possible before venturing forth. The wind proved even worse than I had anticipated ; but other ladies were out, and I needed an airing very much, and so I walked on till I found a place which commanded a fine view of the Falls. It was a terribly windy place, but I found a railing where I could support myself. Several ladies and gentlemen were about, and among them was Mr. Grimes. I wasn’t acquainted with him at all, but had merely heard his name mentioned. Well, you know, Maudie dear, I was just beginning to conclude that it was altogether too windy for me, when all of a sudden there came a terrific gust of wind, and in an instant it tore away all my head-dress, — hat, chignon, and all, — and whisked it all away over the cliff. I gave a scream, half of fright and half of mortification. I was in utter confusion. It was so shocking. Such an exposure, you know. And what was I to do? Well, just as I was in a perfect agony of shame, and did n’t dare to look around for fear of meeting the eyes of people, Mr. Grimes suddenly came up. ‘ Don’t distress yourself, ma’am,’ said he. ' ’T ain’t lost. I ’ll get it in five minutes.’ ”

“ He did n’t ! ” exclaimed Maud, indignantly. “ What effrontery ! O, my poor, dear Georgie, how you must have suffered ! ”

“ Suffered ! Why, Maudie dear, it was agony, —yes, agony ; and at such a time ! Tears of shame burst from my eyes, and I could n’t say one word. Well, that was very bad, but it was nothing to what followed. After all, you know, it was the idea of the thing that was the worst. In reality it was not so very bad. You know what an immense head of hair I have, all my own ; I could do without chignons, for that matter; so, you know, if nothing had been done, it mightn’t have been noticed, and I might have retired without making much of an exposure. My hair was all tossing about my head ; but ladies often lose their hats, and my appearance would n’t have been very bad, now would it, Maudie dear ? ”

“ You would have looked perfectly lovely,” said Maud. “ But go on. This is really beginning to get exciting.”

“ Well,” continued Mrs. Lovell, “ there I stood, really crying with shame, when to my horror, my utter horror, I saw him — O Maudie darling, what do you think he did ? ”

“What? what?” asked Maud, eagerly.

“ Why, Maudie, he began to go over the cliff.”

“ Over the cliff! ”

“ Yes, over the cliff. Wasn’t it awful? Not merely the fact of a man going over the cliff, but going over it on such an errand ! And imagine me standing there in public, the centre of such a scene as that ! And I hate scenes so! ”

“Poor darling Georgie!” sighed Maud.

“Well, you know, Maudie dear.” continued Mrs. Lovell, “I was utterly stupefied with astonishment and mortification. Before I could utter one single word he was out of sight. I dared not look round for fear of catching the glances of people. I felt all their eyes on me, and longed for the earth to open and swallow me up. I had a wild impulse to run ; but then, you know, I felt terribly anxious about Mr. Grimes. It was an awful thing, to think of a man going down there, and on such an errand. If he had gone down to save a life, it would have been sublime ; but going down to save a chignon was too exquisitely absurd. Still, I felt that his life was really in danger, and so I stood there in terrible suspense.

“ I really do not know how long I stood there, but at last I saw some wretched people coming forward, looking so odiously amused that I could have almost pushed them over. They looked down, and laughed, and one of them said : ‘ Hurra ! he’s got it! ’ Those few words were enough. They showed me that there had been no horrible accident In a moment my deep suspense left me, and the only feeling that I had was a longing to get away. For O, Maudie, imagine me standing there, and Mr. Grimes approaching me solemnly with my chignon, after having saved it at the risk of his life, and making a formal presentation of it in the presence of those horrid men ! The thought nearly drove me wild. I turned away', and I really think I must have run all the way back to the hotel.

“ Well, on reaching the hotel I went at once to my room, and shut myself up. I had all sorts of fears, and all those fears were fully realized ; for after about an hour a gentleman called and sent up his name ; and who do you think it was ? Why, Mr. Grimes, of course ! Now, under ordinary circumstances, his astonishing devotion would have touched me ; but that dreadful chignon made it all fearfully ridiculous, and all of the ridicule attached itself to me. What was more, I knew perfectly well that he had brought the horrid thing with him, on purpose to restore it into my own hands. That was an ordeal which, I confess, I hadn’t the courage to face ; so I excused myself and was very ill. I expected, of course, that he would leave it.”

« And did n’t he ? ” asked Maud, in wonder.

“Leave it? No indeed, not he. You don’t know Mr. Grimes yet, Maudie dear.”

“ The horrid wretch ! ”

“ He is a noble-hearted man, and you must not abuse him, or I shall really feel quite angry with you.”

“ But I was only' sympathizing with you, Georgie dear! I did n’t mean any offence.”

“ No, of course not, dear. I know you would n’t hurt my feelings. Well, you know, he did n’t leave it, but carried it off, and that one fact filled me with a new horror. In the first place, I was afraid my chignon would become the public talk ; and then, again, I felt sure that he would call again, bringing that horrid thing with him. I was convinced that he had made up his mind to deliver it into my hands alone. The thought drove me to despair. And so, in my desperation, I determined to quit the place at once, and thus get rid of all my troubles. So I made up some excuse to my friends, and left by the early train on the following day for home. And now I’m coming to the end of my story, and you will be able to understand why I’m so determined to go to Paris.

“ About three months ago a person called on me here at my own house. I went down, and who do you think it was ? Why, Mr. Grimes ; and he had a parcel in his hand.”

“ O dear ! ” exclaimed Maud. “ Not the chignon ! O, not the chignon !

“ Yes, Maudie dear,” said Mrs. Lovell, sadly and solemnly, “ the chignon. When I entered the room, he was so eager and so excited that I really felt afraid. It was only with the greatest difficulty that I could keep him IN bounds at all. besides, the remembrance of the affair was utterly ridiculous, and this absurdity, together with the fact that he had done a wonderfully daring thing for my sake, combined to make me feel embarrassed. He, on his part, had no end of things to tell me. What he said showed an astonishing amount of devotion. Positively, he had been all over Canada searching for me. He had spent months in this search, before finding me. And now he appeared before me, with joy on his face, exultation in his eyes, and that horrid chignon in his hands. ‘ Here it is,’ he said, ‘safe and sound, ma’am, — not a star erased, not a stripe effaced, — to be given to your own hands in good order and condition ’; and was n’t that a funny speech to make, Maudie darling ? ”

“ Very,” said Maud, dryly.

“ Well, you know after that, he went on in the strangest way. He said he had risked his life to get it ; and had kept it for months till he loved it like his own soul ; that it had been near him day and night; and that to part with it would break his heart ; and he wanted to know if I would be satisfied with another instead of this one. He had got one made in New York, he said, which was the exact counterpart of this ; and entreated me to let him keep my chignon, and give me the other. Well, you know, it was a queer thing to ask, but I really felt awfully sorry for him, and he pleaded so hard ; and he had done so much; and he had taken so much trouble ; and he made such a point of it you know, that — ”

“ What ? ” exclaimed Maud, “ you did n’t — you could n’t — ”

“ Yes, but I could, and I did ! ”

At this Maud looked unutterable things.

“ There was really no help for it,” continued Mrs. Lovell, placidly. “ Why, only think, Maudie. He could easily have kept it, if he had chosen, without asking me at all.”

“ Yes, but don’t you see, Georgie, that there is all the difference in the world between taking a thing and having it given to you ? ”

“ O, but in this case, where he had done so much, you know, he really deserved it, and as he made such a point of it, I yielded — and so — he has it now.”

“Well,” said Maud, “of all the ridiculous stories that I have ever listened to, this is the most absurd. I’ve heard of lovers wanting a lock of their ladies’ hair, but never before did I hear of one who wanted a whole head of it.”

“Yes, but then, you know, this was n’t my own hair.”

“ But that only makes it the more absurd,” said Maud. “He is cherishing the hair of some other person,— some French peasant, or perhaps the accumulated locks of some dozens of them. And he goes into raptures over this ! He sits and gazes upon it in fondest admiration ! He devours it with his eyes ! He passes his fingers through its dark rippling curls ! He — ”

“ He does n’t do anything of the kind,” interrupted Mrs. Lovell, somewhat sharply. “ Mr. Grimes is quite above sucli nonsense. Of course he knows what it really is.”

“ But, Georgie, you did n’t take his present did you. Of course not.”

“ O yes, but I did — ”

“You did!”

“Why, certainly.”

At this Maud drew a long breath.

“And what’s more,” continued Mrs. Lovell, “ I’ve worn it ever since.”

“ You have n’t ! ” cried Maud.

“ I have it on now,” said Mrs. Lovell, quietly. “ I’m sure it’s very becoming, and I only wonder how he could get one so good.”

“ Georgie, I declare you make me feel positively ashamed of you,” cried Maud, indignantly. “ It’s really quite shocking. And you of all people ! Why, you are usually so very fastidious, you know, and you stand so on les convenances, that I cannot understand how you ever came to forget yourself so far.”

“Nonsense, Maudie,” said Mrs. Lovell. “ I can judge very well for myself, and besides, you know, that things that would n’t do for you are all very well for me. But let that pass. It happened as I say, and the consequence was that Mr. Grimes saw more in that little piece of good-nature than was actually meant. So, you know, he devoted himself to me, and for the last two or three months I ’ve seen very much of him. I liked him, too. He has many noble qualities ; and he was awfully fond of me, and I felt half sorry for him, and all that. I liked to have him for a friend, but the trouble was that was not enough. He was always too ardent and devoted. I could see his face flush, and hear his voice tremble, whenever we met. Yet what could I do ? I kept as cool as possible, and tried to chill him, but he only grew worse.

“ And the plain fact is,” continued Mrs. Lovell, “he never would have done, never. He has noble sentiments, it is true ; but then he has such funny manners. He has a large heart, but dreadfully big hands. He has a truly Titanic soul, but his feet are of the same proportions. And all that is very dreadful, you know, Maudie. And what makes it worse, I really like him, and I feel a sense of deplorable weakness when I am with him. It may be because he is so big and strong and brave, and has such a voice, but I think it may also be because I am just a little bit fond of him.”

“ Fond of him ? O Georgie ! You don’t mean it.”

“ O, just a little bit, you know, only ever so little,” said Mrs. Lovell apologetically. “ But at any rate it’s really quite shocking to think how I lose control of myself and — ”

“ And what, Georgie dear ? ” asked Maud, anxiously, as Mrs. Lovell paused.

“ Why, and let him treat me so — ”

“ Treat you so ? How, dear ? ”

“ Well, I ’ll tell you. It was to-day, you know. Of course you understand how he has been devoting himself to me for the past few months, and I have been trying to fight him off. Well, today he came, and he took me by storm, and I could n’t fight him off at all; for before I could think, he was in the middle of a most vehement confession, and ended with a proposal. Well, you know, I never was so embarrassed in all my life, and I really did n’t know what to do.”

“You refused him, of course.”

“ O, but it was n’t so easy. You see I really liked him, and he knew it.”

“ Knew it ? How could he know it?”

“ O, you know, I told him so.”

“ Told him ! ”

“ Yes, and that was what ruined all, for he grew dreadfully bold, and began to appropriate me in a way that was really alarming. O dear, I shouldn’t like to have to go through it again. You see, his proposal was not to be thought of, but then it was not easy to decline it in a pleasant and agreeable way. What was worse, I grew embarrassed and lost all my usual presence of mind, and at last had to tell him simply that it could not be.

“ And then, O Maudie dear, he was so cut up. He asked me if this answer was final, and I told him it was. Then he sat silent for no end of time, and I felt so dreadfully weak, that I arsure if he had urged me I really don’ see how I could have refused him But he did n’t. He was so simplehearted that he never thought of trying to change my decision. At last he broke the silence by asking me in a dreadfully hollow voice if I loved another; I told him I did n’t, and he gave a great sigh of relief. Then he asked me in a still more doleful voice if I would allow him to keep that wretched thing, the chignon, you know. He said he would like some small token — ”

“ Small token ! ” cried Maud, “ a whole chignon ! O dear ! Georgie, do you think he intends having it put in a locket ? ”

“ I don’t know what he intends. I only know that I feel very, very sad and sorry for him, and did n’t dream of refusing. I would n't look him in the face, but sat there looking as silly as possible. So at last he rose to go; I rose too, and felt so very nervous that I could n’t even raise my eyes.”

“ O Georgie, Georgie, how very, very silly you were, poor darling ! ”

“ I know I was, Maudie, and I knew it at the time, but how could I help it?”

Well, dear ? ”

Well, then, you know — ”

Mrs. Lovell hesitated.

“ What ? ”

“ Why, we stood in that way for some time, and I wondered what he was doing, but did n’t dare to look up, and then at last he took my hand and said,

‘ Good by,’ in a shockingly hoarse voice. His hand was like ice, and my hand trembled excessively from excitement, and then, too, I felt dreadfully sorry for him, so I said, ‘Good by,’ and then, Maudie, he, the poor fellow, stooped down — and put his arms round me — and kissed me.”

“ He what! ” cried Maud.

“ O, you needn’t be so awfully indignant, Maudie, I say it calmly, he kissed me, on my forehead ; but I don’t feel quite so calm now, when I think of that hot tear of his that fell on my cheek.”

Mrs. Lovell sighed.

Maud looked earnestly at her, and both sat in silence for some time.

II.

THE MISDIRECTED LETTERS.

“You see, Maudie,” said Mrs. Lovell, after a prolonged silence, “ I am really in earnest about going to Paris, and I ’ll tell you exactly why. It’s all Mr. Grimes. I have refused him, and he went away heart-broken, and all that; but I have a dreadful presentiment that he will be back again, bringing that horrible chignon with him, and making fresh protestations. I like him very well, as I have explained, but I don’t want to marry him, of course, or any other person. The trouble is, however, that I have no confidence in myself, I am so shockingly weak ; and I’m terribly afraid that he will come again and persuade me to do something very, very silly. Why, Maudie dear, when I think of what I have just escaped, I really tremble. I’m sure if he had only been a little more urgent, I really don’t know what would have become of me. And then, think of the name, — — Grimes ! Mrs. Grimes ! Why, it really sends a cold shudder through me. Really, Maudie darling, I’m afraid to stay here any longer than I can help. He will be here again, and I shall have to see him. Of course I will manage so as not to see him alone again, but I cannot always have you with me, and he will be sure to find me someday. And then think of my fate! O yes, I must go, and I shall go immediately. I have made up my mind to leave by the very next steamer. Really I shall never feel safe till I have the ocean between me and Mr. Grimes.”

“ I think, on the whole, Georgie dear, that it would be a very good plan. You expect me to go with you ? ”

“ Of course, darling ; did n’t I say so at the very first ? ”

“ Yes,” said Maud, slowly, and in the tone of one speaking to herself. “Yes, it is better so, better for both of us, the best thing now — ”

She sighed heavily.

At this Mrs. Lovell looked earnestly at her sister and seemed struck by something in her appearance.

“ Why, Maudie ! what’s the matter with you? ” she exclaimed.

“With me? O, nothing,” said Maud.

“ But you ’re shockingly pale, and you’ve been crying ; and I’ve been so taken up by my own worries, that I never noticed it till now ; but now as I look at you I see plainly that something is the matter. What has happened ? It must be something dreadful. You really look heart-broken about something. Why my poor, dear, sweet darling Maudie ! ”

Full of tender pity and affection, Mrs. Lovell went over to her sister, and kneeling on the floor by her side, she twined her arms around her, and kissed her. Maud sat for a moment as though trying to control her feelings, but suddenly gave way, and letting her head fall on her sister’s shoulder she flung her arms around her and burst into tears.

“ You have some trouble, darling,” said Mrs. Lovell. “ Tell it to me, tell it to your own Georgie.” And then she proceeded to kiss Maud, and soothe her and coax her to give her her confidence, until at length Maud promised that she would. But it was some time before she could recover from the agitation into which she had fallen. She raised herself, and tried to control her feelings ; but having yielded to them once, it was not very easy to regain her composure, and it was some time before she could speak.

“ O Georgie,” she said, at last, “ I’m in such dreadful trouble, and I’m sure I don’t know how it happened or how it will end, or what I ever shall do.”

“Only fancy!” said Mrs. Lovell, “and I’ve been so selfish that I never noticed this ; but then, I ’m sure I should never have thought of you being in trouble, darling. How can trouble ever come near you ? ”

“ I 'm sure I don’t understand it,” said Maud, mournfully.

“ But what is it all about ? Tell me what it is, as far as you know. For my part, I can’t imagine even a cause for trouble to you.”

“ I ’m in dreadful, dreadful trouble,” sighed Maud. “ Mr. Carrol, you know.”

“ Mr. Carrol ! ”

“ Yes. He — he — ” Maud hesitated.

“ What ? he did n’t propose, did he ? not another proposal? Mr. Carrol! Well, Maudie dear, I remember havving a vague suspicion that he was fond of you ; but then, I was so bothered, you know, that I did n’t think very much about it. So he proposed, did he ? Well, I always liked him, and I think you did too.”

“ Yes,” sighed Maud ; “ I did, I

really liked him.”

“But when did he propose? It’s very strange. How very sly you’ve been, Maudie dear.”

“ Why, he wrote a letter.”

“ Wrote ? What! wrote ? O dear ! I thought it was only old men, weary of the world, that wrote when they proposed. To think of Mr. Carrol writing ! Only fancy ! I ’m sure I never would have thought that of him.”

“Well,” said Maud, mournfully, he apologized for writing, and said the reason was that he could never see me alone, and was anxious to know his fate. You see you and I were always together, Georgie dear, and so he chose to write to me about it.”

“Well, that is certainly a justification, Maudie, for we always are together, as you say; and now that I think of it, I don’t see how any one could have ever had a chance to see you alone. But I was always thoughtless. Well, Mr. Carrol proposed, as you say; and what did you say ? Did you accept him ?

I suppose you did, I even hope you did ; for now, when I come to think of it, he seems to me to be admirably suited to you. He is young, handsome, and evidently very fond of you ; he’s rich, too, but of course I don’t care for that, for reasons which I have already explained, you know. So I really hope you did accept him.”

Maud drew a long breath.

“ Yes, Georgie dear, but that was n’t all. I received another proposal at the same time.”

“ Another proposal ! ”

“ Yes, and who do you think it was from ? Why from that odious Frenchman who calls himself the Count du Potiron, and a very suitable name it is for such a man.”

“ The Count du Potiron ! ” repeated Mrs. Lovell. “ How perfectly preposterous ! ”

“ Perfectly,” echoed Maud. “ Why, really I had scarcely ever spoken to him, you know. I noticed, of course, that there was a great tendency on his part to those galanleries which every Frenchman considers himself bound to offer ; but I really never suspected that he meant anything by them. Even when I received his proposal, it only amused me, and I scarcely gave it a thought until to-day.”

“To-day?” said Mrs. Lovell; “well, what happened to-day?”

“Why,” said Maud, “to-day I find that some dreadful mistake has been made ; but how, or why, or by whom I cannot quite make out.”

“Tell me all about it, dear,” said Mrs. Lovell, earnestly; “ perhaps I can help you to find out.”

“ Well, Georgie, you know, of course, I like Mr. Carrol, and so, — why, when he asked me, — I — I wrote him that — well, I accepted him you know, and at the same time I wrote that absurd Frenchman a civil note, declining his proposal of course. Well, Georgie dear, I waited, and waited, and for two or three days I expected to see Mr. Carrol. You know how often he used to come. Well, he did n’t come at all, but yesterday that odious Frenchman called.”

“ I remember,” said Mrs. Lovell.

“ Well, I would n’t see him.”

“ Yes.”

Maud was silent for a time, and at length continued: “This morning I received a most singular note from him. He addressed me by my Christian name, and told me that my acceptance of his proposal had overwhelmed him with the profoundest joy. My acceptance of his proposal ! Think of that, Georgie ! And I had rejected him positively, and almost contemptuously.”

“ Good heavens ! Maudie, dearest, what is the meaning of it all ? ”

“ Wait a moment,” said Maud, drawing a long breath, and speaking in an excited manner. “Wait till you hear all. Such a letter of course surprised me, and at the same time excited all sorts of fears. I could n’t understand it at all. I suspected that I must have made some horrible mistake of the most stupid kind. My anxiety was increased by the silence of Mr. Carrol. I had accepted him, but he had neither called on me nor written. I was bitterly mortified, and afterwards dreadfully anxious ; and though I began to fear that some mistake had been made, I really did not believe it till I got that dreadful letter from the Frenchman.”

“ Maudie darling, you really terrify me,” said Mrs. Lovell. “ I have a suspicion that is positively quite shocking.”

“This afternoon,” said Maud, in a tremulous voice, — “ this afternoon, just after lunch, I got this letter. It’s from Mr. Carrol. Read it, and tell me what you think about it.”

With these words she handed to Mrs. Lovell the letter which all this time she had been holding in her hand. Mrs. Lovell took it in silence, and opening it she read the following : —

“DEAR MISS HEATHCOTE: If you wished to crush me, your wish is gratified. I am crushed utterly, and am now in the lowest state of prostration in which even you would wish to see me.

“ I received your reply to my letter two days ago, and would have acknowledged it before, but I did not do so, partly because I supposed that any further remarks from me would be unwelcome, but more particularly because I did not feel altogether able to write.

“ I expect to leave this place to-day, and forever. All my arrangements are made, and you and I will never meet again. Under the circumstances, therefore, I hope you will forgive me for saying that your rejection of my offer might have been made in terms a little less cruel and cutting. After all that has passed between us, I think I deserved something more than a note such as the one you thought fit to send me. It seems to me that any one with ordinary kindliness of heart would have been more willing to save one from pain and mortification than to inflict it. After all, my offence was not so very great as to be unpardonable. It only consisted in the avowal of my love for you.

“ I might say very much more, but I think it is better to leave it unsaid. At any rate, you and I now part forever ; but whether your peculiar mode of dealing with me will make you very much happier or not, the future alone can determine.

“Yours truly,

“PAUL CARROL.”

Mrs. Lovell read this letter over twice. Then she sat and thought. Then she read it again. After this, she looked fixedly at Maud, whose pale face confronted hers with an expression of utter woe that was pitiable to witness.

“This is horrible, simply horrible,” said Mrs. Lovell. “ My poor darling, how could it have happened ? It’s all some frightful mistake.”

“And, O Georgie dear! I wrote him the very kindest, kindest letter,” said Maud. “ I told him how I — ” But here a great sob burst from her, and choked her utterance, and she buried her face in her hands and wept aloud. Mrs. Lovell drew her towards her, and tried to soothe her with loving caresses and gentle words ; but Maud’s grief was too great for consolation, and it was very long before she was able to overcome it.

“ He’s gone, gone forever, and I ’ll never see him again ! ” she murmured over and over again amid her tears. “ And I was expecting him, and wanting to see him so!”

“ Poor dear darling ! ” sighed Mrs. Lovell ; after which she sat for some time with an expression of deep perplexity on her pretty face, endeavoring to fathom the mystery of this somewhat singular affair.

“Of course, Maudie dearest,” said she, at last, “ there has been some mistake, and you yourself must have made the mistake. There is only one thing possible, yet it really seems too absurd. After all, though, it is positively the only thing that can account for it, and it is just possible. Don’t you think so, darling ? ”

“Don’t I think what? You don’t say what it is.”

“Well, I was thinking that it was just possible that you, in your excitement, which was very natural under the circumstances, you know, — that you might have made a dreadful blunder in the address, and directed the Count’s letter to Mr. Carrol, and Mr. Carrol’s letter to the Count.”

“And that’s the very thing I have been suspecting,” exclaimed Maud, in a tone of dismay ; “ but it ’s so shocking, that I don’t dare to think of it.”

“ Well, darling, won’t you acknowledge that it is possible ?”

“ Certainly, it is possible, but not probable.”

“ Well, now let us see about the probability of it,” said Mrs. Lovell, putting herself in an attitude of profound reflection. “ In the first place you answered the Count’s letter.”

“ Yes. ”

“And then Mr. Carrol’s.”

“ Yes.”

“Now do you remember whether you addressed each one immediately after writing it, or waited till you had finished your writing and then addressed both ? ”

“ O, I remember that perfectly well. I did not address the letters until after I had finished both. I never do when I have more than one to write.”

“ Well, of course, you were a little agitated, particularly after your last effusion to Mr. Carrol. It was very natural. And you were excited, you know, Maudie dear. You know you were.”

“ I suppose I may have been a little excited.”

“ Well, is n’t it possible, or even probable, that in your excitement you may have put the letters in their envelopes and addressed each of them to the wrong person altogether?”

Maud gave a heavy sigh, and looked despairingly at her sister.

“ Well, now, Maudie dear,” continued Mrs. Lovell, “ there’s another thing I should like to ask. I should like to know the general nature of each letter, so as to see if there was anything in either of them which might show the recipient that it was a mistake. A great deal depends on that, you know. Tell me now — I don’t want to get your secrets, you know, I only want to help you. Let us begin with the one you wrote first, what did you say to the Count ? ”

“ Well, Georgie, it was a very cool and civil rejection, that was all. At first I thought of writing in the third person, but I concluded that it was better to do so in the first ; so I told him that I regretted that he had written to me in that way, and hinted that there had been nothing in our mutual relations to warrant his sending such a proposal to me ; and I very civilly hoped that he would not feel disappointed.”

“ And there was nothing more ?”

“ No.”

“ Nothing which might show that it was not for Mr. Carrol ; no allusions to his being a foreigner, for example?”

“ Certainly not. It was so very general in its terms that it would have done to insert in a Complete LetterWriter. But then, Georgie darling, that is the very thing that should have excited Mr. Carrol’s suspicions, and made him sure that such a letter could not have been intended for him.”

“ Well, Maudie, men are such odd, unreasonable creatures, you know, that there’s no knowing how they will act, particularly in love affairs. I’m afraid he must have accepted the letter as your own actual answer to his, or else how could he have written in such a very shocking way ? But now tell me about the other.”

“ Well, I wrote to Mr. Carrol the very kindest, kindest letter that I could compose. I ’m sure I said everything that he could expect, and I even expressed a wish to see him soon.”

“ Did you make any very particular allusions to any particular incidents ?”

“ O no ; it was only a general expression of — well, you know what, and all that sort of thing.”

“ How did you begin it ? Not with ' Dear Sir ’ ? ”

“No. I said, ‘My dear Mr. Carrol.’ ”

“ And how did you begin the Count’s ? ”

“ Simply with ' Dear Sir.’ ”

“ Not ‘ Dear Monsieur le Compte,’ or ‘ Dear Count ’ ? ”

“ Certainly not. The first was French, which would be out of place in an English letter, and the other seemed a little familiar, so I took refuge in the simple formula of ‘ Dear Sir.’ ”

“Well, the Count got the letter which began, ‘ My dear Mr. Carrol.’ ”

“ He must have, if I did make the mistake.”

“You are sure that you began it in that way.”

“ O yes.”

“ Well, if you did, I don’t see what the Count could make out of it. He must have seen that it was not for himself. He’s acquainted with Mr. Carrol, too, and must have understood that it was for him. But then again he must have believed that it was for himself. Even French assurance could not make him appropriate a letter which he could see so plainly was addressed to another man.”

“ There is only one thing that I can think of,” said Maud, dolefully, “ and I’ve thought of it frequently ; for all this was on my mind before you came in.”

“ What is that ? ”

“ Well, it is this. I have thought that it is just possible for my writing to be a little illegible ; my hand is very angular, you know, and the o's are open, and I don’t cross my t’s, and all that sort of thing. I find now that in writing the name of Carrol rapidly, it does bear a remote resemblance to the word “ Count.” I dare say you would show the same resemblance if you were to write it. Now look at this.”

And Maud went over to her writingdesk, and wrote the name “ Carrol ” several times.

“ There certainly is a resemblance, as you say,” remarked Mrs. Lovell, as she looked at the writing, which was in the most pronounced angular “ lady’s hand.” “ There really is quite a resemblance,” she repeated, “ though the words are so unlike. But then, you know, Maudie dear, you say you wrote ‘ My dear Mr. Carrol ’ ; would n’t it seem a little odd to him to read ‘ My dear Mr. Count ’ ? ”

“ O, he would have no trouble about that,” said Maud, mournfully. “ He might, in the first place, attribute it to my ignorance of the proper style of addressing him, or, what is still more likely, he would probably take the ' Mr.’ as a plain ‘ M, and would read it, ' My dear M. Count,’ which would n’t seem to him so very much out of the way, you know. See here.”

And Maud, taking up a sheet of note-paper, wrote the words, “ My dear Mr. Carrol.” Mrs. Lovell looked at it thoughtfully for some time.

“There’s a great deal in what you say, Maudie,” said she. “ I confess that you may really read those words as ' My dear M. Count,’ or even, ' My dear M. le Count.’ In fact, I think you could even turn it into ' My cher M. le Count’; and if a pressure were put on one, I would not say that one could not read it as ' Mon cher M. le Count.’ In fact, I dare say he reads it that way himself.”

Maud sighed heavily, threw down the pen, and retreated to a chair, where she rested her head on her hands, and sat looking gloomily at the floor.

Fames DeMille.