"My dear, who was that gentleman that has been closeted with you in the
drawing-room all this time?"
And then, without listening to Ellinor's reply, she went on:
"Mrs. Jackson has been here" (it was at Mrs. Jackson's house that Mr.
Dunster lodged), "wanting to know if we could tell her where Mr. Dunster
was, for he never came home last night at all. And you were in the
drawing-room with--who did you say he was?--that Mr. Livingstone, who
might have come at a better time to bid good-bye; and he had never dined
here, had he? so I don't see any reason he had to come calling, and P. P.
C.-ing, and your papa _not_ up. So I said to Mrs. Jackson, 'I'll send
and ask Mr. Wilkins, if you like, but I don't see any use in it, for I
can tell you just as well as anybody, that Mr. Dunster is not in this
house, wherever he may be.' Yet nothing would satisfy her but that some
one must go and waken up your papa, and ask if he could tell where Mr.
Dunster was."
"And did papa?" inquired Ellinor, her dry throat huskily forming the
inquiry that seemed to be expected from her.
"No! to be sure not. How should Mr. Wilkins know? As I said to Mrs.
Jackson, 'Mr. Wilkins is not likely to know where Mr. Dunster spends his
time when he is not in the office, for they do not move in the same rank
of life, my good woman; and Mrs. Jackson apologised, but said that
yesterday they had both been dining at Mr.
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