"Yes, sir," and the waiter disappeared.
"I suppose," said the brown gentleman to Clarence, "I suppose, sir, you are the gentleman just come to town?"
"You are right, sir," said Clarence.
"Very well, very well indeed," resumed the stranger, musingly. "I took the liberty of looking at your boxes in the passage; I knew a lady, sir, a relation of yours, I think."
"Sir!" exclaimed Linden, colouring violently.
"At least I suppose, for her name was just the same as yours, only, at least, one letter difference between them: yours is Linden I see, sir; hers was Minden. Am I right in my conjecture that you are related to her?"
"Sir," answered Clarence, gravely, "notwithstanding the similarity of our names, we are not related."
"Very extraordinary," replied the stranger.
"Very," repeated Linden.
"I had the honour, sir," said the brown gentleman, "to make Mrs. Minden many presents of value, and I should have been very happy to have obliged you in the same manner, had you been in any way connected with that worthy gentlewoman."