Mark Elwood drew a long breath as he was thus relieved of the other's
presence, and was leaving the room, when Mrs. Elwood, who had felt much
disturbed at discovering among her guests one of whose questionable
character and connection with her husband she was already apprised, and
who, from an adjoining apartment, had caught a slight glimpse of the
meeting just described, and enough of the conversation to enable her to
guess at its import, hurriedly came forward, and, in a voice tremulous from
suppressed emotion, said:

"You surely are not going out to-night, Mr. Elwood?"

"No--that is--only for a short time," he said, hesitating, and a little
confused at the discovery of his design, which a second thought told him
she had made; "only for a short time. But don't stop me to talk now; you
see the company are retiring. I must see the gentlemen off."

"Mr. Elwood, I must be heard," persisted the troubled and anxious wife. "I
cannot bear to have you go off, and leave your only brother, whom you have
not seen for years, and for such company! O Mr. Elwood, how can you let
that bad man--"

"Hush! don't get into such a stew. I shall soon be back," interrupted the
other. "You can excuse my absence. There, I hear them inquiring for me. I
must go," he added, abruptly breaking away, and leaving his grieved
companion to hide her emotions as she best could from the guests who were
now seen approaching for their parting salutations.

In a few minutes the company had dispersed for their respective homes, and
with them, also, had unnoticed slipped away their infatuated host.