All is well that ends well.  All he had to do now was to complete as unostentatiously as possible his term of service—­But perhaps he would be released at once?

No; not at once!  Those anxious to supersede him began to dribble in, it is true; but they faded away, one by one, after interviews with Miss Van Rolsen, and returned no more.  They were a mournful lot, these would-be, ten-dollar-a-week custodians; Mr. Heatherbloom wondered if his own physiognomy in a general way would merge nicely in a composite photograph of them?

His duties he performed now as quietly as he could.  Two weeks more, ten days, nine, eight!  Then?  Ah, then!

He did not see Miss Van Rolsen again nor Miss Dalrymple.  He encountered the fair unknown, though, his acquaintance of the park, occasionally, as she in demure cap and white ruffled apron glided softly her allotted way.  Sometimes he nodded to her in distant fashion, sometimes she got by before he actually realized he had passed her.  She seemed to move so quickly and with such little ado; or, it may be, he was not very observant.  He didn’t feel very keen on mere minor details these days; he experienced principally the sensation of one who was now merely “marking time”, as it were—­figuratively performing a variety of goose-step, the way the German soldiers do.

But one day she—­Marie, they called her—­stopped him.

“I understand from one of the servants that it cost you your position to—­do what you did.  You know what I mean—­”

He looked alarmed.  “Don’t worry about that.”

“But shouldn’t I?” Steady dark eyes upon him.

“On the contrary!” Vigorously.

“I don’t understand—­unless.—­”

“The salary—­it is nothing here”—­Mr. Heatherbloom gestured airily.  “I should do much better—­one of my ability, you understand!—­elsewhere.”

“Could you?” She regarded him doubtfully.  “But, perhaps, they—­It was not very pleasant for you here, anyway.  Miss Van Rolsen—­her niece, Miss Dalrymple—­does not like you.”  He started.  “It was easy to see that; when I mentioned regretfully that the good fortune that brought me where there is plenty; to eat should have been the cause of your being in disfavor, she stopped me short.”  Mr. Heatherbloom studied the distance.  “‘The person you speak of intended leaving anyhow,’ she said, and her voice was—­mon Dieu!—­ice.”

The listener swallowed.  “Quite so,” he said jauntily.  “Miss Dalrymple is absolutely correct.”

She regarded him an instant with sudden, very mature gaze.  “I can’t quite make you out.”

“No one ever can.  Don’t try.  It isn’t worth while.  Which reminds me”—­he rattled on—­“I did you an injury; an injustice—­”

“Ah?” she said quickly.

“In my mind!  You will excuse me, but do you know that night after I had consigned him to your care in the park, I afterward felt quite anxious—­”