“But I supposed there was the utmost confidence and sympathy between you and your sister.”
“So there always has been until now. The fact is, a week ago last night we quarreled.”
“Not seriously, I hope?”
“N-no. That is, I did not regard it as serious at the time, for we have had worse spats than that one, many a time. However, she disappeared the following day.”
“What is that?” asked Nick, stopping abruptly in their walk. “Disappeared, you say?”
“Yes, that is what I said. We quarreled a week ago last night—Saturday night. Sunday morning I slept late, breakfasted alone, and came into the city almost immediately after. I did not return to the Fells until toward evening. When I arrived there she had gone.”
“Gone where?”
“How do I know where? If I had known, I wouldn’t have cared. I have neither seen nor heard a sign of her from that time till just now when that carriage drove up against the curb and she started to alight from it. Naturally, when the carriage stopped almost in front of me, I looked toward it. You can imagine my astonishment when I saw and recognized Mercedes. You saw what happened then.”
“Yes. I saw what happened then. Are you sure that the lady was Mercedes?”
“Am I certain that you are you? I saw her as plainly as I see you now.”