intimacy should spring up between her and Charles!"

"Yes, I must send him away at once."

Mrs. Trotter reminded him that this step was unnecessary, as
Miss Montague left the next day for Chicago to fulfil a professional
engagement. He heaved a sigh of relief, and then, with a passionate
tug at Mrs. Trotter's door bell, turned to go away.

"Will you not come in a while, Jack?" she said.

"No, he replied, Clara (Mrs. Dombey) would suspect something. She
looked at me very strangely this evening."

"But you will come to-morrow," rejoined the temptress.

"Yes, I will look in on my way up from the office," he said.
"Good night."

"Good night, Jack," said she.

As he got to his own door he found Charles leaning pensively against
the balustrade, gazing wistfully at the heavens.

"Well, Charlie, have you forgotten your latch-key?"

"N--no Sir," stammered Charles, "but it is so confoundedly hot
inside that I did not care to go in."

Dombey reflected that as the thermometer registered only about ten