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 "You see this fire, luckily, wasn't in my apartment, but overhead. My rooms were a good deal upset."

"Then, of course, you mustn't try to take us," Touchtone exclaimed, wondering that Mr. Hilliard had not entered upon so important an announcement a little sooner. "We'll go to the hotel."

"Not a bit of it, not a bit of it!" protested Mr. Hilliard; "you mustn't think of such a thing. I am stopping with a cousin of mine, and he has abundance of room for us all, and expects us. It's all settled."

After considerable discussion only did Philip consent to so unexpected a change. It disturbed him. Gerald rather enjoyed the odd plan. He yielded.

"By the bye, Mr. Hilliard," he said as the train sped forward with a lengthened shadow, "you said you left New York yesterday. I thought you expected to come up to Youngwood on Saturday."

"O, so I did," returned Mr. Hilliard, in his careless manner; "but—but I decided to wait, for some business reasons. I should have been very sorry not to meet you just as I did. Per-