I left the window without a word, and walked to my chair. The truth was revealed; Floyd's 'she' was mine: we both loved the same woman! The carriage had contained three persons--the white-bearded old gentleman; another old gentleman who, from the hurried glance I had obtained of him, reminded me very much of Mr. Frisby, our former business agent; and last and above all, the lovely heroine of the Concert-garden adventure. Floyd still remained at the window, gazing down the street after the vanished vehicle: and I took advantage of the opportunity thus afforded me to hastily review my position, and decide what course of action I ought to pursue. It was to be noted, in the first place, that although I had been made aware of the insoluble dead-lock between my friend and myself, he was entirely ignorant of it. The accident of his having been beforehand in exclaiming at sight of the carriage had made all the difference. Had my tongue been an instant quicker, he, and not I, would have been the disconsolate one. It was fate: and I reflected, with perhaps a moment's bitterness, that fate had always been as kind to him as she had been unkind to me. But this unworthy mood did not last. If it was no fault of mine that I was unlucky, certainly Floyd's good fortune was no fault of his. And as for the present affair, I ought (consistently with myself) to rejoice rather than grieve at the turn it had taken. If I did not wish to marry, my disinclination now bade fair to be respected; destiny was working on my side, after all. I ought to esteem it a happiness, moreover, that it had fallen to my lot not only to endow my best friend with a fortune, but with a wife likewise: and to do him these favours, too, without his suspecting that it was from my hand they were received. All this, I say, was very delightful from the moral point of view; but I will not be so uncandid as to pretend that, at the first blush, I was at all delighted. On the contrary, I felt, for the first time, that I was by no means so averse from marriage as I had supposed: and that my only chance of happiness in that relation was now passing away before my eyes. True, the chance had at the best been but a slight one; few things were less probable than that I, without money, influence, or personal attractions, could ever have won so fair a prize as that which I had dreamed of. Yet I perceived that I would have striven to win it with all my strength. I recognised the folly and insincerity of my apparent reluctance. I had dallied with my great opportunity while it had been mine, and now that it was for ever lost, I saw my mistake. Well--Floyd would have her; be it so. At least, I would not play the dog in the manger with him. I will act as I know he would have acted in my place; and though it might be with a bad grace at first, I must trust to time and reason to reconcile me.