"It's lucky I _do_ know something, though, as I may have to be
mistaken for Ruthven Smith, and add an 'N' to his initials. I suppose
he's not in England now by any chance?"
"No. It must be six or seven months since he was here last," said
Annesley. "I don't think Mrs. Ellsworth has heard from him. She hardly
ever does until a day or two before he's due to arrive; neither do his
cousins."
"A peculiar fellow, it would seem," remarked her companion. And then, out
of a plunge into thought, "You say you've never seen the Mr. Smith you
came to meet at the Savoy? How can you be sure it isn't old 'R. S.' as
they call him at Van Vreck's, wanting to play you a trick--give you a
surprise?"
Annesley shook her head. "If you knew Mr. Ruthven Smith, you'd know that
would be impossible. Why, I don't believe he remembers when I'm out of
sight that I exist."
"Still more peculiar! Miss Grayle, I haven't any right to ask you
questions. But I shouldn't be a man if I weren't forgetting my own
affairs--in--in curiosity, if you want to call it that (I don't!), about
yours. No! I won't let it pass for ordinary curiosity.
Pages:
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46