Mrs. Cox said, "Josh., Mrs. Maroney has not reached home yet. I fear she has met with some accident." "Hasn't she? Well, I'll go and hunt her up. Come along, Rivers." "Josh., you good for nothing fellow. You must wait here; don't you know you should not leave the house unguarded at this time?" "Oh!" thought Madam Imbert, "danger in leaving the house, eh! So there are two more in the secret,--Josh. and his wife!" Josh. said he would only step down the road, and would soon return. Nine o'clock came, but no Mrs. Maroney or De Forest. Madam Imbert did not know what to make of it, and began to think something unusual was under way. She arose to leave, but Mrs. Cox said: "Please don't leave me alone. Josh. will soon be back. Won't you stay down and watch the house, while I put the children to bed? Flora is asleep, and I am lonesome. I do wish that shiftless fellow would come home." "I am very tired," remarked Madam Imbert, preparing to leave, "and am afraid the tavern will be closed, as it is getting late; but I will see if I can find Josh., and send him home." "If you don't find him, please come back," pleaded Mrs. Cox. "Well, I'll do that," said she, going out. She walked to Stemples's, and without going into the bar-room, where she knew she would find Josh., went to her room and instructed Miss Johnson to find Rivers and tell him to keep Josh. for an hour. She then returned to Cox's. Miss Johnson found that Rivers was with Josh., Barclay and Horton, in the bar-room. She walked by the door, and, unobserved by the others, gave Rivers a signal to come out. He slipped out, and as he passed her she said: "Rivers, keep Cox for an hour," and in a second he was back calling for more drinks, and getting off jokes which brought down roars of laughter. _CHAPTER XXIV._