The musical exercises were unusually tedious, the choruses were halting and uneven, and the repetition seemed endless.  The day darkened, and the great bronze chandeliers were lighted, and still Professor Hurtzsel mercilessly flourished his baton, and required new trials; until at length feverishly impatient, Regina having satisfactorily rendered her solos, requested and received permission to retire.

It was almost four o’clock, the hour designated for her meeting, when she enveloped herself in her waterproof cloak, drew the hood over her hat, and almost ran for several squares from Mrs. Brompton’s, toward a line of street cars which would convey her to the vicinity of the park.  She succeeded in meeting an upward-bound car, entered, and breathed more freely.

It was quite crowded, and, forced to stand up, Regina steadied herself by one of the leathern straps suspended from the roof.  At her side was an elderly gentleman with very white hair, eyebrows, and moustache, who was muffled in a heavy overcoat, and leaned upon a gold-headed cane.  Soon after, another passenger pressed in, elbowed his way forward, and, touching the old gentleman, exclaimed: 

“Colonel Tichnor in America!  And above all in a street car!  When did you arrive?”

“Last week.  These cars are too democratic for men with gouty feet; but I dislike to bring my horses out in such weather.  Not more than a dozen people have stood on my toes during the last fifteen minutes.  Ringold, how is Palma?  Prosperous as ever?”

“If you had been at Mrs. Tarrant’s last night, you would not need to inquire.  Positively we younger men have no showing when he deigns to enter the beaux list.  He is striding upward in his profession, and you know there is no limit to his ambition.  Hitherto he had cautiously steered clear of politics, but it is rumoured that a certain caucus will probably tender him the nomination for——­”

Here a child close to Regina cried out so sharply that she could not hear several sentences; and when quiet was restored, the young gentleman was saying: 

“Very true; there is no accounting for taste.  It does appear queer that after living a bachelor so long, he should at last surrender to a widow.  But, my dear sir, she is a perfect Circe,—­and I suspect those immense estates in Cuba and Jamaica are quite as potential with Palma as her other undeniable charms.  Last night, as he promenaded with her, it was conceded that they were the handsomest couple in the room; and Mrs. Grundy has patted them on the head, and bestowed the approved,—­’Heaven bless you, my children.’  Palma is the proudest man in——­”

“Here is my street.  Good-day, Ringold.”

The elderly gentleman left the car, and after awhile the young man also departed; but there seemed no diminution of the crowd, and as the track was heavy with drifting snow the horses moved slowly.  At last they reached a point where the line of road turned away from the direction in which Regina desired to go, and quitting the car, she walked toward East ——­ Street.