"Excellent," said Buckingham to himself. "You shall be my hero; only you will write short poems. Then nobody will detect your likeness."
Wilding stayed an hour, and then made ready to leave.
"If you are going to take the car, you are just in time," said his host, as they shook hands by the door of his room.
"I am going first to my cousin's," said the young man.
"Oh, are you? Wait a moment. I should like a little airing. I will walk along with you." And Buckingham, with a sudden admiration for his prompt seizure of the hour, put on his hat and coat.
Two young women were sitting over their worsted-work in the house numbered 17 Grove Street.
"Twenty-five, twenty-six," said the elder. "Lillie, if I were you, I would always carry one of his books with me in the horse-car, prepared to open and read it whenever he chanced to hang by the straps over me. He would be sure to try to read it upside down, and--"
"Nonsense, Julia! you speak exactly as if I were running after him."
"Not running, my dear, but waiting for him. Confess it; don't you make up stories about this Mr. Buckingham? don't you call him Austin all by yourself?"
"Julia, you are shameless! I have a great mind to roll up my work and go up-stairs."
"Oh, no, Lillie. Stay here; for Henry will surely be back soon, and we shall learn exactly how the lion looked in his den. What a singularly good piece of fortune it was that Henry should have met you both!"
"Julia! you don't suppose that cousin of yours has been telling! You don't suppose he has mentioned me to Mr. Buckingham!"
"It is impossible to say. You get two men talking together, and you may be sure they forget all their promises of secrecy. Now, I shouldn't wonder if Henry were at this very moment--"
For the door opened, and Mr. Wilding entered, the remains of a smile upon his face.
"I really should like to know, Julia," he said, "what you two ladies have been talking about. We could almost hear. We certainly could see."
"Why, Mr. Buckingham and I. You have certainly a most hospitable fashion of leaving your shades up. He walked out with me after I had called on him, and he seemed to have a good deal to say after we came to the door. There is an excellent view of the interior from the door; and Miss Vila and you were certainly animated."