When they were ready Ray slipped the package into one of the outside pockets of his overcoat, but retained his hold upon it, and then followed the lady from the store to her carriage, and the next moment they drove away.

The young man found his companion a most charming woman.  She was bright, witty, cultured and highly educated.  She had evidently seen a great deal of the world, and was full of anecdotes, which she knew how to relate with such effect that he forgot for the time everything but the charm of her presence and conversation.

The drive was rather a long one, but Ray did not mind that, and was, on the whole, rather sorry when the carriage stopped, and Mrs. Vanderbeck remarked, in the midst of a witty anecdote: 

“Here we are at last—­ah—­”

This last ejaculation was caused by discovering that she could not rise from her seat, her dress having been shut into the door of the coupe.

Ray bent forward with a polite “allow me,” to assist her, but found that he could not disengage the dress.

Just then the coachman opened the door, but in spite of the young man’s utmost care, the beautiful cloth was badly torn in the operation.

“What a pity!” he exclaimed, in a rueful tone.

But madame looked up with a silvery laugh.

“Never mind,” she said lightly, “accidents will happen, and I ought to have been more careful when I entered the carriage.”

Ray stepped out upon the sidewalk, where he stood waiting to assist his companion, who, however, was trying to pin the rent in her skirt together.  Then gathering up some packages that were lying on the seat opposite, she laughingly inquired: 

“Please may I trouble you with these for a moment?”

“Indeed you may.  Pray excuse my negligence,” Ray gallantly exclaimed, as he extended his hands for them.

She filled them both, and then gracefully descended to the ground.

“You can wait, James, to take Mr. Palmer back,” she quietly remarked, as they turned to mount the steps of the residence before which they had stopped.

“Pray do not ask your man to do that, Mrs. Vanderbeck; I can take a car just as well,” the young man exclaimed.

“No, indeed,” she returned, with a brilliant smile, “I am sure it would be very uncourteous in me to allow you to do so after your kindness in coming with me.”

She rang the bell, and the door was almost immediately opened by a colored servant, when the beautiful woman led the way to a small reception room on the right of the hall, where she invited her companion to be seated, while she went to arrange for the interview with her husband.

She glided gracefully from the room, and Ray, depositing upon the table the packages he held, began to remove his gloves, while he glanced about the elegant apartment, noticing its hangings and decorations and many beautiful pictures.