"
"Which proves you are not _au fait_ of all my lady acquaintances. But,
to solve the riddle, it was Miriam who first came here and put me on
your track."
The blue eyes opened wider.
"You see," said Mr. Ingelow, with the air of one entering upon a story,
"she knew about your appointment that night, and was at the place of
rendezvous, all silent and unseen. She saw you go off in the carriage
with that man, and took it into her head that something was wrong. She
called at Mr. Walraven's that day, and found you were missing--no tale
nor tidings to be had of you. Then, what does she do but come to me?"
Mr. Ingelow looked full at the young lady as he spoke, and once more
Mollie was silly enough to blush.
"I really don't know how it was," pursued Mr. Ingelow, with provoking
deliberation, "but Madame Miriam had taken it into her head that I was
the man you had gone to meet. Extraordinary, wasn't it? She thought so,
however, and was taken all aback to find me quietly painting here."
Mollie did not dare to look up. All her saucy _insouciance_ was gone.
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