She explained that a great many people had been asking for Miss
Talbert; there were two in the parlor now.
When I demanded, "Two what?" she replied, in a breathless tone, "Two
gentlemen," and ushered me into that old-fashioned architectural effort
known to early New York as a front and back parlor.
One of the gentlemen, as I expected, proved to be Dr. Denbigh. The
other was flatly and unmistakably Charles Edward. The doctor offered to
excuse himself, but I took Charles Edward into the back parlor, and I
made so bold as to draw the folding-doors. I felt that the occasion
justified worse than this.
The colloquy between myself and Charles Edward was brief and pointed.
He began by saying, "YOU here! What a mess!--"
My conviction is that he saved himself just in time from Messymaria.
"Have you found him?" I propounded.
"No."
"Haven't seen him?"
"I didn't say I hadn't seen him."
"What did he say?" I insisted.
"Not very much. It was in the Park."
"In the PARK? Not very MUCH? How could you let him go?"
"I didn't let him go," drawled Charles Edward. "He invited me to
dinner. A man can't ask a fellow what his intentions are to a man's
sister in a park. I hadn't said very much up to that point; he did most
of the talking. I thought I would put it off till we got round to the
cigars.
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