“I am one of the nearest living relations of Mr Bartlett Bayre, whose namesake I am,” said the young man, readily.
This information evidently surprised Monsieur Blaise, and somewhat mollified him.
“Then you are a relation of this lady’s also?”
“No,” said Bayre. “But as she is my uncle’s ward, I naturally feel a great interest in her welfare.”
When he came to this point in his speech, Bayre saw that Monsieur Blaise began to look at him askance, so he paused.
“Ah! Ah! No doubt!” said Monsieur Blaise, drily. “And she feels an interest in you, and confides to you only the secret of her hiding-place.”
Both the young people protested in a breath, so volubly, and with so much detail, that they managed to convince the elderly gentleman that Bayre’s discovery of the lady had been an accidental one.
“And why did you go away?” Miss Eden hesitated. “Why, if you wanted to go away, did you not at least let me know where you were?”
“The fact is, Monsieur Blaise,” broke in Bayre, “that my uncle’s conduct has been very eccentric lately, and that Miss Eden got frightened. But she doesn’t like to admit the fact.”
The manner of Monsieur Blaise changed and grew expansive in a moment.