our monograms upon it, has just arrived from Mrs. Preston, my
father's old friend. I went to the Goldsmith's Company in Regent
Street yesterday afternoon, and I bought--what do you think? It
looks so beautiful upon its snow-white cotton wadding. I like them
very broad and rather flat. I do hope you will think it all right.
It fills me with the strangest feelings when I look at it. Come what
may, foul weather or fair, sorrow or joy, that little strip of gold
will still be with us--we shall see it until we can see no more.

P.P.S.--Saturday! Saturday!! Saturday!!!



CHAPTER IV--THE TWO SOLOS



Their tryst was at the Charing Cross bookstall at one o'clock, and so
Mr. Frank Crosse was there at quarter-past twelve, striding
impatiently up and down, and stopping dead whenever a woman emerged
from the entrance, like a pointer dog before a partridge. Before he
came he had been haunted by the idea that possibly Maude might have
an impulse to come early--and what if she were to arrive and not find
him there! Every second of her company was so dear to him, that when
driving to meet her he had sometimes changed from one cab to another
upon the way, because the second seemed to have the faster horse.
But now that he was on the ground he realised that she was very exact
to her word, and that she would neither be early nor late. And yet,
in the illogical fashion of a lover, he soon forgot that it was he
who was too soon, and he chafed and chafed as the minutes passed,