"You can wait, James, to take Mr. Palmer back," she quietly remarked, as
they turned to mount the steps of the residence before which they had
stopped.

"Pray do not ask your man to do that, Mrs. Vanderbeck; I can take a car
just as well," the young man exclaimed.

"No, indeed," she returned, with a brilliant smile, "I am sure it would
be very uncourteous in me to allow you to do so after your kindness in
coming with me."

She rang the bell, and the door was almost immediately opened by a
colored servant, when the beautiful woman led the way to a small
reception room on the right of the hall, where she invited her companion
to be seated, while she went to arrange for the interview with her
husband.

She glided gracefully from the room, and Ray, depositing upon the table
the packages he held, began to remove his gloves, while he glanced about
the elegant apartment, noticing its hangings and decorations and many
beautiful pictures.

Presently a gentleman of very prepossessing appearance entered, and Ray,
arising, was astonished to behold, instead of the invalid he had pictured
to himself, a man in the prime of life and apparently in perfect health.

He bowed politely.

"Mr. Vanderbeck, I presume?" he remarked, inquiringly.