“Beautiful!” he exclaimed.  “Congratulations, my boy.”

“Now for the favour.  I want you to act as a witness.  It’s to be a very quiet affair.”  Dauntless explained as much of the situation to him as he thought necessary, omitting the lady’s name.  Mr. Van Truder bubbled over with joy and eagerness.  He promised faithfully to accompany Mr. Derby, pooh-hooing the suggestion that he could not slip away from the hotel without his wife being aware of the fact.

“Trust me, my boy.  Don’t worry.  I’m always Johnny-on-the-spot.  Where did you say the hotel was?  I’ll go up and get ready.  Oh, by the way, who is the young lady?”

“She’s a friend of Mr. Dauntless’s,” said Mr. Derby.

“To be sure; I might have known.  Silly question.”

The young men watched him enter the hotel, but they did not see him fall into the clutches of his wife just inside the door.

“Where have you been?” demanded Mrs. Van Truder.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, my dear,” he said, almost whimpering.  “I’ve got a grand secret, but I can’t tell you.  Don’t ask me!”

“Is it a wedding?” she demanded sternly.

“Dear me!  Do you know it too?” he cried, bewildered.  “But that’s not the real secret; it’s only part of it.  Joe is going to marry some friend of his to-night—­but that’s as far as I’ll go.  I’ll not betray the secret.”  He hurried away to avoid questions, muttering to himself as he went:  “She’s dying to know.  But a secret’s a secret.  She sha’n’t know that I am to be a witness.”

Mrs. Van Truder pondered long and deeply, but she was not well enough acquainted with all of the facts to hazard a guess as to who the girl might be.  It came to her memory that Dauntless had been with Miss Courtenay all morning, however, and she wondered not a little.  Windomshire was approaching in search of Anne, who was to have met him as if by accident in a corner of the reading-room.

“Oh, Mr. Windomshire,” exclaimed Mrs. Van Truder, darting toward him.

“How do, Mrs. Van Truder?  How are you to-day?” he asked, scarcely able to hide his annoyance.

“That is the tenth time you’ve asked me that question.  I must repeat:  I am quite well.”

“Oh, pardon my inquisitiveness.  It has been a very long day, you know.”

“I want you and Miss Thursdale to dine with me at eight this evening.  I think I’ll have a little surprise for you,” she said mysteriously.  Windomshire glared, and then managed to give a provisional acceptance.  It all depended on the hour for leaving for the train.  As he hurried off to find Anne he was groaning to himself:  “How the deuce can I go to a dinner and run off again with Anne?  I’ve got everything arranged.  I can’t let a beastly dinner interfere.  I won’t go, hang me if I do.”  He came upon Anne in the corner of the library—­the most unfrequented corner.

“Well?” she questioned eagerly.  He clasped her hands, beaming once more.