Rosa.

"She is here, sir," said the valet on opening the door. I jumped up.
There she was, standing on the door-mat in the narrow passage! Yet I
had been out of the room twice, once to speak to Sir Cyril Smart, and
once to answer an inquiry from my cousin Sullivan, and I had not seen
her.

She was still in the bridal costume of Elsa, and she seemed to be
waiting for permission to enter. I went outside to her, closing the
door.

"Sir Cyril would not let me come," she said. "But I have escaped him.
I was just wondering if I dared peep in. How is he?"

"He is getting on splendidly," I answered. "And he wants to have a
little chat with you."

"And may he?"

"If you will promise to be very, very ordinary, and not to excite
him."

"I promise," she said with earnestness.

"Remember," I added, "quite a little, tiny chat!"

She nodded and went in, I following. Upon catching sight of her,
Alresca's face broke into an exquisite, sad smile. Then he gave his
valet a glance, and the valet crept from the room. I, as in