many assurances of a future meeting, should she ever return to
Montreal, they separated as the train moved slowly past the platform.
As the drawing-room car was just clearing the station, Miss Montague
held a piece of paper out of the window, which Charles caught
eagerly and placed in his pocket-book. His mother and sister
chaffing him on receiving tender messages from the fair artiste, he
laughingly produced it.

It was nothing more nor less than a page of an old timetable, and both
Mrs. and Miss Dombey laughed at the strange souvenir Miss Montague had
left behind her. When they got home, however, Charles carefully opened
the paper and observed that opposite each of the cities on her route
Miss Montague had placed a figure in pencil thus:--Chicago, 4;
Detroit, 2; Toledo, 2; Toronto, 3; New York; 6, Boston, 6. This,
though unintelligible to his mother and sister, informed Charles that
Miss Montague would go first to Chicago and remain four days, and
afterwards to the other cities mentioned, and that he might write or
meet her there as opportunity afforded.

That day matters resumed their normal condition in the Dombey family;
Jacob breathed freely now that his child had returned to the country
of her adoption, and his wife and family were happy because of his
improved spirits and appearance. Charles had apparently settled down
to business as usual, and Mesdames Trotter and Dombey drove out
together as of old. In a few weeks, however, Charles asked his
father permission to go for his holidays; a friend having invited
him to spend a few weeks at Nahant an island near Boston. There
being nothing to keep him in Montreal he had no difficulty in
procuring consent, and he departed, taking fishing tackle enough to
have supplied the whole Atlantic coast for a season. When his father