“Mr. Sawyer,” said the old lady, more flurried than before, “this conduct is either great impertinence to one in my situation sir, or it arises from your not understanding the object of my visit. If it had been in the power of medicine, or any foresight I could have used, to prevent what has occurred, I should certainly have done so. I had better see my nephew at once,” said the old lady, twirling her reticule indignantly, and rising as she spoke.
“Stop a moment, ma’am,” said Bob Sawyer; “I’m afraid I have not understood you. What is the matter, ma’am?”
“My niece, Mr. Sawyer,” said the old lady: “your friend’s sister.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Bob, all impatience; for the old lady, although much agitated, spoke with the most tantalising deliberation, as old ladies often do. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Left my home, Mr. Sawyer, three days ago, on a pretended visit to my sister, another aunt of hers, who keeps the large boarding-school just beyond the third mile-stone where there is a very large laburnum tree and an oak gate,” said the old lady, stopping in this place to dry her eyes.
“Oh, devil take the laburnum tree! ma’am,” said Bob, quite forgetting his professional dignity in his anxiety. “Get on a little faster; put a little more steam on, ma’am, pray.”
“This morning,” said the old lady, slowly, “this morning she——”
“She came back, ma’am, I suppose,” said Bob, with great animation. “Did she come back?”
“No, she did not; she wrote,” replied the old lady.
“What did she say?” inquired Bob, eagerly.