"Which means breakfast at seven. Is Mr. Lynde equal to a feat like that,
aunt?"

"As I intend to have watchers and sit up all night," said Lynde, "I
think I can promise to be on hand."

This matter decided, the conversation, which had been carried on mostly
in duets, became general. Flemming soon recovered from the remorse of
his inadvertent question, or rather from his annoyance at the thought
that possibly it had struck Lynde as having an ulterior motive.

As to Lynde, he was in the highest humor. Miss Denham had been
thoroughly charming to his friend, with her serious and candid manner--a
manner as far removed from reserve as from the thin vivacity of the
average young woman of the period. Her rare smile had been finer than
another's laugh. Flemming himself went as near to falling in love with
her and the aunt as his loyalty to Lynde and the supposed existence of a
Mr. Denham permitted.

After a while the window curtains were drawn, though it was scarcely
dusk without, and candles brought; then the ices were served, and then
the coffee; and then the clock on the mantelpiece, as if it took
malicious satisfaction in the fleetness with which Time (wreathed in
flowers) slips away from mortals, set up a silvery chime--it sounded
like the angelus rung from some cathedral in the distance--to tell
Flemming that his hour was come. He had still to return to the hotel to
change his dress-suit before taking the train. Mrs. Denham insisted on
Lynde accompanying his friend to the station, though Flemming had begged
that he might be allowed to withdraw without disturbing the party, and