The stranger, whom we shall in future call Green, turned away with a smile, saying merely, “Good evening, Mr. Brown; I won’t detain you longer.”

“Why, who the devil have you got there, Wilton?” exclaimed Lord Sherbrooke:  “I think I have seen his face before.”

“His name is Green,” replied Wilton, not choosing to enter into particulars; “but I am ready now to go with you at once, and make my apologies for not accompanying you before.”

“Come then, come,” replied Lord Sherbrooke; and, leading the way towards the Duke’s box, he added, laughingly, “If there had been any doubt before, my good Wilton, as to my future fate, this night has been enough to settle it.”

“In what way?” said Wilton; but ere the young nobleman could answer, otherwise than by a smile, they had reached the box, and the door was thrown open.

Wilton’s heart beat, it must be confessed; but he had sufficient command over himself to guard against the slightest emotion being perceptible upon his countenance; and he bowed to the Duke and to Lady Laura, with that ceremonious politeness which he judged that his situation required.  Lady Laura at once, however, held out her hand to him, and expressed briefly, how glad she was of another opportunity to thank him for the great service which he had rendered her some time before.  The Duke also spoke of it kindly and politely; and the other persons in the box, who were several in number, began to inquire into the circumstances thus publicly mentioned, so that the conversation took a more general turn, till the curtain again arose.

A certain degree of restraint, which had at first affected both Wilton and the lady, soon wore off, and the evening went by most pleasantly.  It was not strange—­it was not surely at all strange—­that a young heart should forget itself in such circumstances.  Wilton gave himself up, not indeed to visions of joy, but to actual enjoyment.  Perhaps Lady Laura did the same.  At all events, she looked far happier than she had done before; and when at length the curtain fell, and the time for parting came, they both woke as from a dream, and the waking was certainly followed by a sigh on either part.  It was then that Wilton first recollected the warning that he had promised to give, and he was considering how he should find the means of speaking with the Duke alone, when that nobleman paused for a moment, as the rest of the party went out of the box, and drawing Wilton aside, said in a hasty but kindly wanner, “Lord Sherbrooke informs me that you are his most intimate friend, Mr. Brown; and as it is very likely that we shall see him frequently, I hope you will sometimes do us the favour of accompanying him.”

Wilton replied by one of those unmeaning speeches which commit a man to nothing; for though his own heart told him that he would really be but too happy, as he said to take advantage of the invitation, yet it told him, at the same time, that to do so would be dangerous to his peace.  The Duke was then about to follow his party; but Wilton now in turn detained him, saying, “I have a message to deliver to you, my lord duke, from a stranger who stopped me as I was coming to your box.”