"I think I ought to tell you," said she, "that I saw through that business of the dog. He was well trained, I admit. But I can't have my niece annoyed in this way."
"The lady must certainly not be annoyed," said Edward, with feeling.
"I came to-night to see if you were here. . . ."
"It is an unusual hour for a call," said Edward, "but I am proportionally honored."
"—to see if you were here, and, if you were, to tell you that my niece is not."
Edward cast a puzzled eye around the crowded parlor. "No," he said. "No."
"I mean," Miss Davenant went on, "that my niece has left this neighborhood and will not return while you are here; so you are wasting your time and trouble."
"I see," said Edward, helpfully.
"You will gain nothing by this attitude," said Miss Davenant. "If you will consent to leave Jevington to-night I will give you twenty pounds."