"I have been told so," said Merriam. "My mother often spoke of it. And--Mrs. Norman mentioned it to me before she was married. I have seen his pictures, of course, in the papers. I have never seen him in person." (This was true, for John Merriam had, quite inexcusably, stayed away from Mollie June's wedding.)
"He has never seen you, then?"
"He probably doesn't know of my existence."
"So much the better," said Rockwell. "The only difficulty then is Mrs. Norman. And she can be eliminated."
This facile elimination of Mollie June did not make an irresistible appeal to Merriam, but he held his tongue.
Alicia Wayward saw the reformer's mistake.
"Mr. Rockwell means," she threw in, "that Mrs. Norman can be shielded from the difficulties of the situation."
"Exactly," said Rockwell quickly. "Mr. Merriam," he continued, "if you have never seen the Senator with your own eyes, you can have no realisation of the closeness of your resemblance to him. Hair, eyes, nose, mouth, size, carriage, manner, movement--it is truly wonderful. And it is the same with your voice. Father Murray here says he fairly jumped when you first spoke to him out in the Cabaret when he went over to question you."
"He also says," interrupted Alicia, as if mischievously, "that it is Providential."
"Please do not be irreverent, Miss Alicia," said the priest. "It does surely seem Providential--on this night of all nights. It surely seems so."