"What report, marquis?"
"A report or story concerning a beautiful widow, who had just arrived from Amsterdam. From the minute description given—she had fair face, blue eyes, fleecy hair and loved art—I suspected that the woman in black might be Christine De Ruyter."
"You surprise me, Leo, but what was the report?"
"Alfonso, pardon me, I have said too much already."
"No, go on and tell me all."
"Alfonso, since the report is concerning a woman's character, my lips should be sealed, and would be, except you my friend are the most interested party. The club story is that a handsome young officer, who left his newly wedded wife in Bristol, England, was so much enamored of the charming widow aboard ship that suspicions were aroused, and in fact confirmed, by an additional report that valuable diamonds had been sent by the same officer from Tiffany's to the lady, who is stopping somewhere on Central Park. There, Alfonso, I have given you the story and the whole may be true or false."
It was now Alfonso's turn to be shocked; he could not believe what the marquis had told him. Next day he visited the office of the American Line, found that Christine De Ruyter was a passenger on the last steamer, and the purser gave him her New York address. Then the marquis volunteered to call, in Alfonso's interests, upon Miss De Ruyter who seemed glad to see him, and was amazed with the story which he had to tell, not only of himself, and his good fortune, but that of Alfonso. That the latter was alive and wealthy was news almost too good to believe.
The marquis reported to Alfonso that Christine was overjoyed to have a bygone mystery so fortunately cleared up, and that she sent him an urgent invitation to call at once.
Christine congratulated herself over her good luck at the very threshold of the new world. "Strange romance, indeed, it would be," she mused to herself, "if, after having refused the poor artist, he having gained riches should prove loyal, and lay his heart and fortune at my feet! Would I reject him? No, indeed! He has gold now." Thus musing to herself before the mirror, she gave final touches to her toilet, and stepped down into her sister's sumptuous parlor to wait for a lover, restored from the depths of the sea.
Promptly at 9 o'clock Alfonso was ushered into Fredrika's parlor. For a second, Christine stood fixed and pale, for Alfonso it really was, and she had believed him dead; then extending her hand she gave him greeting. For a full hour Alfonso and Christine talked, each telling much of what had transpired in the intervening years. Alfonso said he was quite as much surprised to find that she was still unmarried, as she seemed surprised that he was still alive.