"Poor Mr. Harley--why, it will upset his whole story," said Mrs.
Willard.

"And save his reputation," said Marguerite. "It wouldn't have been
real, that story," she added. "In the first place, Balderstone
couldn't write a story that would fascinate me; he could never
acquire a baleful influence over me; and, finally, I never should
marry Robert Osborne under any circumstances. He's not at all the
style of man I admire. I'm willing to go along and let Mr. Harley
try to work it out his way, but he will give it up as a bad idea
before long--if I catch the steamer; and if I don't, then he'll have
to modify the story. That modified, I'm willing to be his heroine."

"But your aunt and the twins--they must be aboard by this time. They
will be worried to death about you," suggested Mrs. Willard.

"For a few moments--but Aunt Emma wanted to go, and she and the rest
of them will have a good time, I've no doubt," replied Miss Andrews,
calmly; and here Stuart Harley's heroine actually chuckled. "And
maybe Mr. Harley can make a match between Aunt Emma and Osborne,
which will suit the publishers and please the American girl," she
said, gleefully. "I almost hope we do miss it."

And miss it they did, as I have already told you, by three minutes.
As the cab entered the broad pier, the great steamer moved slowly but
surely out into the stream, and Mrs. Willard and Mr. Harley's heroine
were just in time to see Mrs. Corwin wildly waving her parasol at the
captain on the bridge, beseeching him in agonized tones to go back
just for a moment, while two separate and distinct twins, one male
and one female, peered over the rail, weeping bitterly. Incidentally