half-dozen wine-glasses clustered at her place, and pour herself out
a generous libation.

"Have you seen much of the city?" she asked, as she tossed it
off--without as much as a quiver of an eyelash.

"No," said he. "They have not given me much time. They took me off
to the country--to the Robert Wallings'."

"Ah," said Mrs. Alden; and Montague, struggling to make
conversation, inquired, "Do you know Mr. Walling?"

"Quite well," said the other, placidly. "I used to be a Walling
myself, you know."

"Oh," said Montague, taken aback; and then added, "Before you were
married?"

"No," said Mrs. Alden, more placidly than ever, "before I was
divorced."

There was a dead silence, and Montague sat gasping to catch his
breath. Then suddenly he heard a faint subdued chuckle, which grew
into open laughter; and he stole a glance at Mrs. Alden, and saw
that her eyes were twinkling; and then he began to laugh himself.
They laughed together, so merrily that others at the table began to
look at them in perplexity.

So the ice was broken between them; which filled Montague with a
vast relief. But he was still dimly touched with awe--for he