"Law, honey, were you up to Brudenell yesterday evening?"
"To be sure I was! I thought you knew it! Haven't you just said that the marriage was not acknowledged until his wife arrived?"
"Why, yes, honey; but what's that to do with it? with you being there, I mean? Seems to me there's a puzzlement here between us? Did you stay there till one o'clock, honey?"
"Why, no, of course not! We came away at eight."
"Then I'm blessed if I know what you're a-driving at! For, in course, if you come away at eight o'clock you couldn't a-seen her."
"Seen whom?" questioned Nora.
"Why, laws, his wife, child, as never arrove till one o'clock."
Nora burst out laughing; and in the midst of her mirthfulness exclaimed:
"There, now, Mrs. Jones, I thought you didn't know half the rights of the story you promised to tell us, and now I'm sure of it! Seems like you've heard Mr. Brudenell has acknowledged his marriage; but you haven't even found out who the lady is! Well, I could tell you; but I won't yet, without his leave."
"So you know all about it, after all? How did you find out?"