"That is so," said the lady. "'Twere easy to tell the difference."
"You are very confident," said he, sourly, "and maybe then you could read the faces in this room, madam?"
She glanced about her with a flush at his rudeness. "I think there is no question of this room," she answered.
He said nothing, but shot a glance at me, and then took a draught of wine.
"And how was it this kind gentleman happened upon you, Betty?" he asked.
"Sir, 'twas a delicate voice, as of a lamb bleating in the cold darkness, that I heard, and went for to rescue," I answered him coolly.
"Oh!" he says, and looked at the table as if thinking. "And whence came you?" he asked bluntly.
Now it entered into my mind then for the first time that he had conceived a suspicion of me. It was true that his bearing might be part of his customary gross conduct, but 'twas possible that his questions were pursuing some point. And so, as the landlord was gone from the room, I said indifferently, "I am from Bristol and go south for Taunton."
"Ho!" he said, "then you came along the road after me?"
"Very like," I said with the same indifference. "I know not which way you came, as the chaise was buried deep in the drift."