"Yes. She had gone the day before my arrival. She had written again, and had telegraphed. She had then set out, expecting me to receive her with all a lover's eagerness at Barcelona, at the hotel which I had mentioned to her in my last letter, and hoping also that I might possibly turn up at any station after passing the Pyrenees. What do you think of that? Wasn't that a blow? And was it my fault?" "Certainly not," said Katie, in a soothing voice. "Not your fault, only your misfortune. But what did her friends say?" "Her friends? Oh, they were awfully indignant, of course, but I couldn't wait to explain it all to them. The moment I found out how it was, I turned on my heel and hurried back to Barcelona. I travelled night and day. I got there without any interruption, and rushed to the hotel where, according to my direction, she was to have gone." "Well," asked Katie, as Harry paused, "was she there?" "No," said Harry; "but, worst of all, she had been there! Yes, she had been there. She had made the journey; she had reached Barcelona; and I--I, for whom she had come, I was not there to meet her. Well, when I did get back she was gone." "Gone?--gone where?" "Why, where else could she have gone but home again?" "True. Being a girl of spirit, she never could stand such treatment as that. But did she leave no message for you?" "Not a word, either in writing or in any other way. I asked the hotel people about her, but they knew nothing in particular. She had not told anything about herself. She had come, and, after two or three days, had gone. She had gone only the day before I got back." "And you, of course, must have started after her all the way back to England, and that's the reason why you are here--" "Yes," said Harry: "the only hope I had was to overtake the train that preceded me. It was not impossible that it might be delayed, and that my train should come up with hers. That was my only hope, but of course all this is now up." "Oh, well," said Katie, in a consoling tone, "you'll see her again before long, and you can explain it all; and when she finds out that it all arose from an excess of zeal, she will see that your fault was one on the right side, and she will love you all the better. And so you will both have many and many a laugh over this queer misadventure; and it will be something that will give flavor and spice to all your future life. Why, I'd give anything to have just such an adventure--I would, really. I wish I was in Miss Talbot's place. I quite envy her--I do, really; that is," she added, with a little confusion, "her adventure, you know." "You have such a nice way of putting things," said Harry, "that I wish I could always have you to go to for sympathy." "Sympathy?" said Katie. "Oh, you know that's quite my forte." Harry looked into her clear, sunny eyes as they were raised to his, full of brightness, and archness, and joyousness.