At this moment Cleve Stuart so quietly entered the room that Palma was not aware of his entrance until he stood before her.
“Mr. O’Melaghlin—Mr. Stuart,” she said, presenting the gentlemen to each other.
The visitor arose and both bowed.
“I bring a letter of introduction for you, sir, from the Messrs. Walling, of New York,” said The O’Melaghlin, drawing from his breast a neat, open envelope and handing it to Mr. Stuart.
Cleve took it with a bow.
On the envelope, besides the superscription—“To Cleve Stuart, Esq., Wolfscliff, W. V.,”—there was written between brackets, in the corner: “To introduce The O’Melaghlin, Carrick Arghalee, Antrim.”
Now, the use of the definite article as the prefix of a man’s surname had been a puzzle to Palma, and even a surprise to Cleve, though he remembered that in the north of Ireland, as well as in Scotland, it was affected by certain heads of families among the landed gentry of ancient lineage, and considered to outrank either plain “Mr.” or “Squire.” O’Melaghlin, therefore, must be recognized as The O’Melaghlin.
“With your permission,” said Stuart, with a bow, as he opened the letter, which was as follows—and rather more than sarcastic in its peculiar style, as Cleve thought when he read it, though he hoped and believed that the bearer of the letter had not—if he had read the words—perceived the sarcasm:
“Office of Walling & Walling, Att’ys, Etc.
“New York, May 8, 187—.