you stop a bit, now, my dear: do—there's a sweet fellow.'
Pierre turned; and in the flashing, sinister, evil cross-lights of a druggist's window, his eye caught the person of a wonderfully beautifully-featured girl; scarlet-cheeked, glaringly arrayed, and of a figure all natural grace but unnatural vivacity. Her whole form, however, was horribly lit by the green and yellow rays from the druggist's.
'My God!' shuddered Pierre, hurrying forward, 'the town's first welcome to youth!'
He was just crossing over to where a line of hacks were drawn up against the opposite curb, when his eye was arrested by a short, gilded name, rather reservedly and aristocratically denominating a large and very handsome house, the second story of which was profusely lighted. He looked up, and was very certain that in this house were the apartments of Glen. Yielding to a sudden impulse, he mounted the single step toward the door, and rang the bell, which was quickly responded to by a very civil black.
As the door opened, he heard the distant interior sound of dancing-music and merriment.
'Is Mr. Stanly in?'
'Mr. Stanly? Yes, but he's engaged.'
'Now?'
'He is somewhere in the drawing-rooms. My mistress is giving a party to the lodgers.'
'Ay? Tell Mr. Stanly I wish to see him for one moment, if you please; only one moment.'
'I dare not call him, sir. He said that possibly some one might call for him to-night—they are calling every night for Mr. Stanly—but I must admit no one, on the plea of the party.'
A dark and bitter suspicion now darted through the mind of Pierre; and ungovernably yielding to it, and resolved to prove or falsify it without delay, he said to the black:
