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.  Sometimes he glanced back toward the waiting coach, and then, without change of position as to his body, returned his gaze to the door.

Two or three false alarms were occasioned him, and us, by the coming forth of ladies who proved, as soon as the light struck them, to be other than the person we awaited.  But at last she appeared, looking her years and cares a little more than upon the stage, but still beautiful and girlish.  She was followed by a young waiting-woman; but before we had time to note this, or to step out of the shadow, we saw Captain Falconer bound across the way, seize her hand, and bend very gallantly to kiss it.

So, then, it was for her he had waited:  such was the bitter thought of Phil and me; and how our hearts sickened at it, may be imagined when I say that his hope and mine, though unexpressed, had been to find her penitent and hence worthy of all forgiveness, in which case she would not have renewed even acquaintance with this captain.  And there he was, kissing her hand!

But ere either of us could put our thought into speech, our sunken hearts were suddenly revived, by Madge’s conduct.

She drew her hand instantly away, and as soon as she saw who it was that had seized it, she took on a look of extreme annoyance and anger, and would have hastened past him, but that he stood right in her way.

“You again!” she said.  “Has my absence been for nothing, then?”

“Had you stayed from London twice three years, you would have found me the same, madam,” he replied.

“Then I must leave London again, that’s all,” said she.

“It shall be with me, then,” said he.  “My coach is waiting yonder.”

“And my chair is waiting here,” said she, snatching an opportunity to pass him and to step into the sedan, of which the door was invitingly open.  It was not her chair, but one that stood in solicitation of some passenger from the stage door; as was now shown by one of the chair-men asking her for directions.  She bade her maid hire a boy with a light, and lead the way afoot; and told the chair-men to follow the maid.  The chair door being then closed, and the men lifting their burden, her orders were carried out.

Neither Philip nor I had yet thought it opportune to appear from our concealment, and now he whispered that, for the avoidance of a scene before spectators, it would be best for him to follow the chair, and accost her at her own door.  I should watch Falconer to his abode, and each of us should eventually go home independently of the other.  Our relief to find that the English captain’s presence was against Madge’s will, needed no verbal expression; it was sufficiently manifest otherwise.