"I'll see you next month, my dear. If I can persuade your mother to come, too, we'll have a fine time."
Green's tall figure barred the way to the hall.
"Please wait a minute, Miss Thomasina," said he. "I have something to say to all of you and it is easier to say it to all of you together. Miss Thomasina told me some days ago that you, Mrs. Lister, have been misled by several coincidences into thinking that Eleanor Bent was the daughter of your brother Basil."
Mrs. Lister looked aghast.
"That is a great mistake," said Dr. Green. "Eleanor Bent is my daughter. I fell in love with her mother when I was here and followed her away. Before Eleanor was born, we separated, and when I came here to practice I found them. Her mother was established and was not willing to readjust her life and I deferred to her. It was an absurd mistake. Eleanor's ideas of a departed parent were already fixed; otherwise it would have been more absurd."
Having finished his speech, Dr. Green was left without a response. One would have thought that he had stricken his audience dumb. After a long time Dr. Lister swung his right knee over his left.
"Mrs. Lister thought she resembled her brother," said he.
"She resembles me," said Dr. Green.
"But her talent!" said Mrs. Lister, beginning to cry.