I'll keep track of him--learn where he's to be
found--while you meet her."
"But if he--if she--"
"Wait and see. His being here, may not in any way concern her. Mere
coincidence, no doubt."
"I hope to God it is!" whispered Phil, though his voice quivered.
"Nay, I'll believe it is, too, till I see otherwise."
"Good! And when I learn his haunts, as I shall before I sleep, you may
find him at any time."
And so we continued to wait, keeping in the darkness, so that the
captain, even if he had deigned to be curious, could not have made out
our faces from where he stood. Philip watched him keenly, to stamp his
features upon memory, as well as they could be observed in the yellow
light of the sickly lamp; but yet, every few moments Phil cast an
eager glance at the door. I grant I was less confident that Falconer's
presence was mere coincidence, than I had appeared, and I was in a
tremble of apprehension for what Madge's coming might reveal.
The captain, who was very finely dressed, and, like us, carried a cane
but no sword, allowed impatience to show upon his usually serene
countenance: evidently he was unused to waiting in such a place, and I
wondered why he did not make free of the greenroom instead of doing
so. But he composed himself to patience as with a long breath, and
fell to humming softly a gay French air the while he stood leaning
motionlessly, in an odd but graceful attitude, upon his slender cane.
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