Since the morning a restraint had fallen between the knight-errant and
the rescued lady--a restraint Mollie saw clearly enough, but could not
properly understand.
Evening came. Twilight, hazy and blue, fell like a silvery veil over the
city, and the street-lamps twinkled through it like stars.
Mr. Ingelow in an inner room had made his toilet, and stood before
Mollie, hat in hand, ready to depart for the Walraven mansion.
"Remain here another half hour," he was saying; "then follow and strike
the conspirators dumb. It will be better than a melodrama. I saw
Oleander to-day, and I know information of your escape has not yet
reached him. You had better enter the house by the most private
entrance, so that, all unknown, you can appear before us and scare
us out of a year's growth."
"I know how to get in," said Mollie. "Trust me to play my part."
Mr. Ingelow departed, full of delightful anticipations of the fun to
come. He found all the guests assembled before him. It was quite a
select little family party, and Mr. Walraven and Sir Roger Trajenna
were in a state of despondent gloom that had become chronic of late.
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