Everything arranged. Meet me at Senator Banning’s country home, Corydon, Massachusetts, Thursday evening at eight.
Alembert Giddings,
Bishop of Tuscarora.”
The Bishop snatched the telegram from Gadsby and verified the detective’s reading with unfeigned astonishment. The reading of this message evoked another outburst of merriment from Miss Collingwood.
“Zaliska,” fluted young Coningsby, “how dare you!”
“Oh, I never take a dare,” said Zaliska. “I guessed it was one of your jokes; and I always thought it would be real sporty to be married by a bishop.”
“Yes,” said Miss Collingwood frigidly, “I suppose you’ve tried everything else!”
The Bishop met Mrs. Banning’s demand that he explain himself with all the gravity his good-natured countenance could assume.
“It’s too deep for me. I give it up!” he said. He crossed to Zaliska and took her hand.
“My dear young woman, I apologize as sincerely as though I were the guilty man. I never heard of you before in my life; and I wasn’t anywhere near Berkville day before yesterday. The receipt of my own telegram in New Hampshire at approximately the same hour proves that irrefutably.”
“Oh, that’ll be all right, Bishop,” said Zaliska. “I’m just as pleased as though you really sent it.”