"Tell Major Rebb, when he returns, that Mr. Haskins wishes to see him on a private matter. Mr. Gerald Haskins," added the young man, handing the card. Then he turned away, wondering why the veiled woman should utter a muffled exclamation of surprise when she heard the Christian name. But his wonder was still further increased when, on descending the stairs, he felt his arm grasped, and found that the strange lady was at his elbow. "You are Mr. Gerald?" she said in deep contralto tones, "may I call you--Prince Gerald?" Haskins started. It was in this way that Mavis addressed him. But this woman could not be Mavis, for she was too thin and too tall, and her voice was too worn. Could she be---- "Bellaria!" he said tentatively. "Bellaria," assented the woman softly--they were standing on the pavement by this time. "Take me somewhere safe. I wish to speak with you." "My rooms are close at hand," said Haskins promptly, and wondering at this unexpected encounter with one whom he had believed to be miles away. "We can go there at once, Bell----" "Hush!" she clutched his arm again, and looked over her shoulder, as she had looked when in the quadrangle. "Don't say that name here. They may hear--they may hear." "Who may hear?" "Never mind; never mind. Come inside; come inside. Oh, Dio! no mention of my name," and she hurried into the doorway indicated by Gerald. In a few minutes they were in Haskins' sitting-room, and here again Bellaria's nervousness betrayed itself. "There is no one can hear us?" she asked, her veil up, and her eyes roving round the room. "No, no," replied the young man soothingly. "The man and his wife who attend to me in these chambers are below. You can talk freely. By the way," he asked abruptly, "how did you know my name?" Bellaria, looking more aged and haggard than ever, flung herself into an armchair, and laughed uncomfortably. "Prince Gerald. Who calls you Prince Gerald, Mr. Haskins?" "Mavis does, but----" "Then it is true, what she confessed to me: that you love her and she loves you?" "Quite true," rejoined Haskins quickly. "We met by chance, and----" "By chance!" repeated Bellaria scornfully. "When you deliberately came where you had no business to come. I know all!" "How did you find out?" Gerald was perfectly calm when he asked this question, as she did not seem to be hostile. "I saw that Mavis was not herself, that she was disturbed, and guessed that she was keeping something secret from me. I watched, and saw her lead a man across the quadrangle. When she came in that night I told her what I had seen, and so--she confessed about the sealed message, and about her secret meetings with you. Also that you desired to marry her. Fool!" cried Bellaria pointing a scornful finger at her host, "would you marry a madwoman?" "Not in making Mavis Durham my wife," said Haskins coolly. "She is perfectly sane." "And I--Bellaria Dondi--say that she is not."