_don't believe a word of it_. You say he is in the dressing-room?" "Yes, madam, I know he is there." "You don't think he'll come into the exhibition-room to-night?" "No, I know he will not." "You don't think he would come out a minute? I can't stay to-night, and I shall certainly go in the morning. I _must_ go--you _don't think_ he would come out?" "I don't know, madam; I will ask him if you wish." "Well, _do_, Daniel; come, that's a good fellow--or, stop!--look here--just hand him this note; it is merely to say good bye: give it to him, and only tell him I am here, will you, and going out of town to-morrow morning?" Daniel took in the note to the "_Strong Wind_," who was lying on his robe, and in a minute returned with the note and this awful message:--"Tell her she _may_ go out of town--I don't wish to see her." This was as much of his ungallant message as Daniel could venture to bear to the good lady, though the "_Strong Wind_" continued to say, "Take the note back to her: she is making too free with me, and all the people see it. She wants a husband too bad, and I hope she will soon get one." Daniel returned the note, and apologized for being the bearer of such a message to her; but he said, as he had carried her message to Cadotte, he felt bound to bring his message back. "Certainly, certainly," said she; "I can't blame you, Daniel; but this is strange--all this is strange to me; it's quite incomprehensible, I assure you. The crowd is coming in, I see, Daniel; and I can't possibly be here through the evening, I'll be here as soon as I come back. Good night." One can easily imagine how the peace of the bosom of this good-natured unoffending lady was broken up by the abrupt way of the "_Strong Wind_," and how unhappy might have been the few days she was to spend in the country, and which she could not then fail to do, as she had made a promise to friends, that she could not break. By her absence from the exhibition-room for a week or more, it was evident that she was accomplishing her visit to the country; and, though her little _archer_ was unemployed in her absence, it would seem as if the very show of so many bows and arrows in the great city of London had suddenly called into existence, or into service, a reinforcement of those little marksmen, who were concentrating their forces about this time, and seemed to be all aiming their shafts at the breast of the "_Strong Wind_." There were several fair damsels who nightly paid their shillings, and took their positions near the platform, in a less conspicuous way, though not less known to the "_Strong Wind_," than our friend who had "gone for a while to the country." From the fair hands of these he had received, unobserved, many precious and sly gifts, and amongst them several little billets of the most sentimental nature, containing enclosures of beautiful little stanzas, and cards of address, &c.