"We are searching for a manuscript song that is missing," explained madame, as she gave her hand to the doctor. "Mina feels sure she left it here; but I do not remember to have seen it." "It was not mine," added Mina, looking round at the doctor in her pretty, gentle way. "Caroline Parker lent it to me, and she has sent for it twice." "I hope you'll find it, my dear." "I must have left it here," continued Mina, as she rapidly turned over the sheets. "I was singing it yesterday afternoon, you remember," she added, glancing up at the captain. "It was while you were upstairs with Lady Jenkins, Madame St. Vincent." She came to the end of the pile of music, but could not find the song. Putting it all on a side-table, Mina said a general good-bye, escaped by the glass-doors, and ran home by the little gate that divided the two gardens. Captain Collinson left next. Perhaps he and Mina had both a sense of being de trop when the doctor was there. Waiting to exchange a few words with Mr. Tamlyn, and bidding Madame St. Vincent an adieu that had more of formality in it than friendship, the captain bowed himself out, taking his tasselled cane with him, madame ringing for one of the men-servants to attend him to the hall-door. Tasselled canes were the fashion then. "They do not make a practice of meeting here, do they?" began old Tamlyn, when the captain was beyond hearing. "Who? What?" asked Madame St. Vincent. "The captain and little Mina Knox." For a minute or two it appeared that madame could not catch his meaning. She looked at him in perplexity. "I fail to understand you, dear Mr. Tamlyn." "The captain is a very attractive man, no doubt; a good match, I dare say, and all that: but still we should not like poor little Mina to be whirled off to India by him. I asked if they often met here." "Whirled off to India?" repeated madame, in astonishment. "Little Mina? By him? In what capacity?" "As his wife." "But--dear me!--what can have put such an idea into your head, my good sir? Mina is a mere child." "Old enough to take up foolish notions," quoth the doctor, quaintly; "especially if they are put into it by a be-whiskered grenadier, such as he. I hope he is not doing it! I hope you do not give them opportunities of meeting here!" Madame seemed quite taken aback at the implication. Her voice had a sound of tears in it. "Do you suppose I could be capable of such a thing, sir? I did think you had a better opinion of me. Such a child as Mina! We were both on our knees, looking for the song, when Captain Collinson came in; and he must needs go down on his great stupid knees too. He but called to inquire after Lady Jenkins." "Very thoughtful of him, of course. He is often up here, I fancy; at the next house, if not at this."