rather, Lady Holmhurst’s, London house was in Hanover-square.  Then he walked to his rooms in one of the little side-streets opening out of the Strand, and went through the form of eating some dinner; after which a terrible fit of restlessness got possession of him, and he started out walking.  For three solid hours did that young man walk, which was, no doubt, a good thing for him, for one never gets enough exercise in London; and at the end of that time, having already been to Hammersmith and back, he found himself gravitating towards Hanover-square.  Once there, he had little difficulty in finding the number.  There was a light in the drawing-room floor, and, the night being warm, one of the windows was open, so that the lamp-light shone softly through the lace curtains.  Eustace crossed over to the other side of the street, and, leaning against the iron railings of the square, looked up.  He was rewarded for his pains, for, through the filmy curtain, he could make out the forms of two ladies, seated side by side upon an ottoman, with their faces towards the window, and in one of these he had no difficulty in recognising Augusta.  Her head was leaning on her hand, and she was talking earnestly to her companion.  He wondered what she was talking of, and had half a mind to go and ring, and ask to see her.  Why should he wait till to-morrow morning?  Presently, however, better counsels prevailed, and, though sorely against his will, he stopped where he was till a policeman, thinking his rapt gaze suspicious, gruffly requested him to move on.

To gaze at one’s only love through an open window is, no doubt, a delightful occupation, if a somewhat tantalising one; but if Eustace’s ears had been as good as his eyes, and he could have heard the conversation that was proceeding in the drawing-room, he would have been still more interested.

Augusta had just been unfolding that part of her story which dealt with the important document tattooed upon her shoulders, to which Lady Holmhurst had listened “ore rotundo.”

“And so the young man is coming here to-morrow morning,” said Lady Holmhurst; “how delightful!  I am sure he looked a very nice young man, and he had very fine eyes.  It is the most romantic thing that I ever heard of.”

“It may be delightful for you, Bessie,” said Augusta, rather tartly, “but I call it disgusting.  It is all very well to be tattooed upon a desert island—­not that that was very nice, I can tell you; but it is quite another thing to have to show the results in a London drawing-room.  Of course, Mr. Meeson will want to see this will, whatever it may be worth; and I should like to ask you, Bessie, how I am to show it to him?  It is on my neck.”

“I have not observed,” said Lady Holmhurst, drily, “that ladies, as a rule, have an insuperable objection to showing their necks.  If you have any doubt on the point, I recommend you to get an invitation to a London ball.  All you will have to do will be to wear a low dress.  The fact of being tattooed does not make it any more improper for you to show your shoulders, than it would be if they were not tattooed.”