Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-02-08

knew when he would arrive-but h
did not want her to know. Tha
seemed clear.
She walked up to the top Of Wilton
Place, took q hanson, and told tn
man to drive to Charing Cross hotel
Arrived there, she entered and sait
she expected q gentleman to meet. he
in few moments, adding that sh'
! would like to wait in the o0lfee.room
Her heart beat high with excitemen
as she went in. Was she about t.
discover something? Was the amateur
detective about to be rewarded by
great success? She gloried in th'
thought of how instantly she had seel
ktbrough Mrs. Valery's absurd story
shich shS Concluded had seen toi,
her in case by any mischsnce sh,
should come to meet her own husband
No one was in the coffee room. L
was an hour at which meals were no
wanted. So much the better, though
Lady Lynx. She went to an arm
chair in An obscure corner Of the room
aHd established herself there, provid
ing herself with q newspaper with
which to screen her face. She wa
now prepared to wait for what time
might bring forth.
Meantime Mrs. Vslery had put or
her bonnet and driven down to the
same place in her little brougham.
very short time after Lady Lynx had
settled herself in the coffee room Mrs
Valery walked into the hotel, aud in
quired whether Q Count Of IN unpro.
nouncable pane had arrived. After
considerable consultation and much
mental effort the waiter informed her
that foreign gentleman, whose name
was like . sneeze. certainly had come
to the hotel, taken q room, and gone
TO it. But he had not said that he
expected . lady to zee him, for the
very good reason that be could speak
no language but his own. which nc
one in the hotel understood
%. nonsense! be speaks French.
said Mrs. Valery, with . laugh. How
ever, he expects me to interpret for
him l will write him Q line on this
card, If you will take it up to him.
will wait in the coffee-room, and when
be comes down show him in there
Mrs. Valery wrote line in Russian
beneath her name, aud then gave the
card to the waiter. 1t was sent up
stairs and she vas shown ia the flee.
roam. She went in and stood still q
lev moments; then began to walk to
aud fro rather restlessly, her eyes on
the ground. She was little nervous
about this meeting with = man she
had never seen. Il would be quite
leaaE il .he. Nere ynice If be we're not, il
would be horrid. She thought to her
self, rs she waited, that il one Of her
dearest friends had not asked her to
do this. she would have refused.
Probably her sudden dislike OF her
task merely arose from the depressing
effect Of being stranded alone in the
midst Of great hotel coffee room, aud
having to rem,in there. Atall events,
she resolved that she would be cordial
If the man looked ut all nice /; she
would not let him be chilled, ss Dost
foreigners are, in the first hour he
spent in England. And then she began
TO think what bis friends had been to
her when she was in Russia- That
gave her new courage; but o, how
long he kept her waiting. She glanced
round the room. She could just see
the top Of q black bonnet over q dis.
tant armchair = lady was there, read
ing paper. She felt glad there was
no ooe to observe q pretty woman
waiting in q public coffee room for
some one who did not come.
At last the door opened, and gen
tleman entered quickly. Mrs. Nalery
saw in q single swift glance that he
was handsome, tall and distinguished
looking, aud that he had that air
which one is compelled to describe n
foreign for want Of better word
That is to say, though he was no,
very Russian in appearance, yet he did
not look like an Englishman. Mrs
VAlery called up all her courage and
pretty manners, and, with an extreme
nervousness which no one but herself
could perceive, advanced eagerly tc
meet him. She held out her hand
and began to talk rapidly in Russian
He did not answer her; but then she
gave him no time TO, for her nervous
ness made her talk rather more than
she intended. He held her hand in
his and gazed admiringly into heI
face, which, with its slight flush o
EN- mbarrasse ment, was even lovelier thar
usual. This went on for two or three
minutes; then Mrs. Valery tried te
draw her hand away, and looked abou1
her for chair. But her new friend
held her hand fast, which discompos
ed her q good deal, yet it did moi
startle her so much as the sight greet
ed her eyes as she looked around
Lady Lynx had advanced stealthily
and stood beside them. Her face al
awful. Mrs. Valery uttered an mar
ticulate cry of establishment. This
made the gentleman look around also
He Immediately dropped Mrs. Valery''
hand.
Now said Lady Lynx, before an!
one else had time to speak-'now Val
cry, know you for what you are!
This speech produced different ef
feet from what she intended. Ger
tainly, it started Mrs. Valery as muct
as she hoped it would; but, befor'
that lady had time to speak, the hand
some gentleman said, in an easy man
ner, and with q knowing twinkle il
his eye:
Then my dear Kate, wish you't
tell me. | took her for an amiabl
and very pretty lunatic. Was l right
Perhaps you can tell me also if sh
speaks any language but HindOstanee