'All I know is, Tom, that I have seen her, and that I adore her. I have never been able to get speech of her, or even so much as find out her name. If she were like other girls, I'd soon scrape an acquaintance; but she awes me and abashes me, and I'd no more think of being unceremonious with her than with her Majesty Queen Victoria. I must get presented in regular form or not at all. But nobody seems to know her; she seems to be travelling incog. They never stop at hotels, but always go to private lodgings, so there's nothing to be learnt through feeing waiters. I first caught sight of her in Paris, and have been trotting round at her heels ever since, sometimes losing her for a while, but not for long. Yesterday, though, I thought she had given me the slip finally; but by accident I heard it rumoured that some one answering her description had taken the train from Berlin southwards four days ago. I came on here, on speculation; got here early this morning; and sure enough I had a glimpse of her as she drove by in her carriage, not three hours since.' 'By Jove, Floyd!...' said I musingly; and paused. 'That's my yarn, so far as it's gone.' I rose, and joined him at the window, and we both leaned over the sill and gazed thoughtfully down on the street beneath. The coincidence that the objects of our respective adoration should both happen to be in town at the same time, impressed me. It confirmed me, too, in my design of making Floyd my confidant, as he had made me his. Our destinies were entangled and the fact that his predicament of not knowing so much as the name of his mistress was identical with my own, encouraged me to proceed. Exactly what I expected to gain from my confession, I did not pause to consider. Matrimony must, of course, be as much against my principles now as it had been yesterday; nevertheless, somehow or other, the magnetism of Floyd's presence had the effect of causing me at least to reconsider the matter. It might be worth my while, at all events, to hear his opinion upon it: it would be an opinion founded upon good sense and knowledge of the world. The chances were, I reflected, that he would but confirm my own views as to my unfitness for the married state: had he not already insinuated as much, while ignorant of my infatuation? I would speak out, then, fearlessly: and I would speak at once. 'Floyd----' The loud rattling of a carriage over the stones beneath interrupted me. We both looked down, and at the sight which met our eyes we both started. Floyd was the first to speak. 'Quick! look there, Tom,' cried he, catching my arm with more of excitement in his manner than I had ever before known him to betray; 'look, man, there she is!' 'She?' I cried; 'why, how did you know her?' 'Know her? Know the woman I adore?' 'You--adore----' 'She's the one I've been telling you about--the one I love! O you beauty!' and he kissed his audacious hand at the retreating carriage.