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 course. It occurred to him, now that it was too late, that what he should have done was to have noted the number of the electric brougham in which the party had left the opera house, discovered the chauffeur and obtained his information from him. But that chance was lost to him and it really seemed that he would have to call at the house on West Fifty-third Street and, on one pretext or another, find out what he wanted from Miss Pearse. It was possible that the elderly lady and the girl were relations, although he couldn't recall any resemblance of features, in which case it might be further possible that they lived together. On the whole, however, he was inclined to think that one of the other women was the girl's mother and that she and Miss Pearse were merely friends.

He tried to think of a plausible story to tell Miss Pearse. It would hardly do to hand her his card and say "Madam, I am in love with a young lady who sat in your box at the opera Thursday night, and I shall be