"What's this?"
"My lady exaggerates," smiled my lord. "'Tis merely that I had the honour to catch her as she fell down the steps this morning."
O'Hara looked relieved.
"Ye are not hurt, alanna?"
"Gracious, no! But I had to do something to show my gratitude—and I was sure that you would never expose my fraud—so I—But," as a sudden thought struck her, "you seem to know my highwayman!"
"Sure an' I do, Molly. 'Tis none other than Jack Carstares of whom ye've often heard me speak!"
She turned round eyes of wonderment upon my lord.
"Can it be—is it possible that you are my husband's dearest friend—Lord John?"
Jack flushed and bowed.
"I was once—madam," he said stiffly.