'It's a little idyl--a bit of a romance, you know, that I had imagined. I hoped to take you back to America with me, when I went, and I expected my sister would come too. Well, she's there already. But I thought, don't you see, that you would meet and perhaps see a good deal of each other; and I'm certain she's a girl of fine character, though she may very likely be no great beauty to look at; and of course she has half of all I own, and will probably decide to settle down over there; and I'll defy any woman who knows what you are to help falling in love with you.' Floyd was actually stammering and getting red in the face. I never felt my heart so go out to a man, before or since. Dear old Floyd! how little he knew what an impossibility he was proposing. 'I'm not a marrying man, Floyd,' was all I was able to reply at the moment; but I knew that he understood, from my tone and look, how deeply his suggestion had touched me. After this ensued a rather long silence. At last he remarked, carelessly taking up the note which old Joanna had brought in with the beer, and which I had quite forgotten. 'Apparently I'm to take your assertion that you know nobody in town with a reservation. This looks like an invitation from some of the upper ten. The monogram is big enough.' 'An invitation?--that can't be.' On opening the envelope, however, I found that he was right. It was an invitation to a private fancy ball, at the house of no less a person than my banker. 'It's very strange; I never spoke ten words to him in my life, and my balance is none of the largest. It's to-night, too--short notice!' 'He didn't want to give you time to refuse. Of course you'll go. Let me look at it--"Mr. Wyndham and friend"--that means me. We'll go together.' A good deal to my own surprise, I found that Floyd's proposal was by no means so distasteful as I should have supposed. The truth was, I much needed some distraction. This fancy ball would serve to pass away what otherwise bade fair to be a very uncomfortable evening. After a little discussion, therefore, I consented to accompany him thither; and as evening was already coming on, we sallied forth to procure dominos. A few hours later saw us ensconced in a drosky, and rattling over the uneven pavements to our destination. 'I shouldn't wonder, by the way,' remarked Floyd, as we alighted, 'if that divine creature were to be there.'