“Yes, love—­that is, till after dinner.  Then I shall have to beg of Mrs. Waugh the use of the carriage to go home.”

“Well, then, I will ride with you, Marian, and return in the carriage.”

All the company, with the exception of Mrs. Waugh, Marian and Jacquelina, had left the breakfast-room.

Mrs. Waugh was locking her china closet, and when she had done, she took her bunch of keys, and turning to Marian, said: 

“Hebe, dear, I want you to go with me and see poor old Cracked Nell.  She is staying in one of our quarters.  I think she has not long to live, and I want you to talk to her.”

“Now?”

“Yes, dear, I am going to carry her some breakfast.  So, come along, and get your mantle,” said the good woman, passing out through the door.

Marian followed, drawing out her pocket handkerchief to tie over her head; and as she did so, the note, unperceived by her, fluttered out, and fell upon the carpet.

Jacquelina impulsively darted upon it, picked it up, opened, and read it.  Had Jacquelina first paused to reflect, she would never have done so.  But when did the elf ever stop to think?  As she read, her eyes began to twinkle, and her feet to patter up and down, and her head to sway from side to side, as if she could scarcely keep from singing and dancing for glee.

“Well, now, who’d a thought it!  Thurston making love to Marian!  And keeping the courtship close, too, for fear of the old miser.  Lord, but look here!  This was not right of me?  Am I a pocket edition of Miss Nancy Skamp!  Forbid it, Titania, Queen of the Fairies!  But I didn’t steal it—­I found it!  And I must, oh! must plague Grim a little with this!  Forgive me, Marian, but for the life and soul of me, I can’t help keeping this to plague Grim!  You see, I promised to pay him when he charged me with swallowing an assignation, and now if I don’t pay him, if I don’t make him perspire till he faints, my name is not Mrs. Professor Grimshaw!  Let’s see!  What shall I do!  Oh!  Why, can’t I pretend to lose it, just as Marian lost it, and drop it where he’ll find it?  I have it!  Eureka!” soliloquized the dancing elf, as she placed her handkerchief in the bottom of her pocket, and the note on top of it, and passed on to the drawing-room to “bide her time.”

That soon came.  She found the professor and the commodore standing in the middle of the room, in an earnest conversation, which, however, seemed near its close, for as she took her seat, the commodore said: 

“Very well—­I’ll attend to it, Nace,” and clapped his hat upon his head, and went out, while the professor dropped himself into a chair, and took up a book.

“Oh, stop, I want to speak to you a minute, uncle.” cried Jacquelina, starting up and flying after him, and as she flew, pulling out her handkerchief and letting the note drop upon the floor.  A swift, sly, backward glance showed that Grim had pounced upon it like a panther on its prey.