"I'm sure I don't know. You can leave the hat and your card."
"Thank you; we shall retain the hat. If we find monsieur he will need it."
"I'm sorry," said the maid sympathetically. "He's the worst man you ever saw for forgetting things. Sometimes he goes right by the house and has to walk back."
"I'm sorry to have bothered you," said I; and the only girl in the world and myself re-entered the cab.
"This is terrible!" she murmured as we drove off.
"It might be worse," I replied, thinking of the probable long ride with her: perhaps the last I should ever take!
"How could it be!"
I had nothing to offer, and subsided for a space.
"If we should not find him!"