“Outlandishly!” repeated Leonard, in a tone of mock reproach. “I thought I presented a highly respectable appearance. But wait. I’ll come to it in the course of my story. I will be very brief now, and give only the main points. The details I will relate when we have more time.”
It is not necessary to repeat Leonard’s story, as the reader knows it already. It will be remembered that when we left him he had made the journey from Boston to New York. We will take up the thread of his narrative at that point.
Carlos had already apologized to Mr. Werner, saying:
“You will pardon us for speaking in English; we can talk more readily and to the point. All shall be explained to you afterward.”
“I arrived in New York,” said Leonard, “about two hours ago—it is now ten o’clock, I believe. I at once proceeded to Mr. Duncan’s house, and requested to see him alone, giving my name as the Reverend Mr. Withers. It is perhaps not surprising that he failed to recognize me at first, but I soon made myself known. And, as he had already heard your story, you are prepared to believe that he gave me rather a warm reception. Well, I told my story. While I was telling it I saw he had something on his mind that he was impatient to reveal, but you mayjudge that I was unprepared for the first question he asked, which was ‘if I would like to see my cousin Carlos?’ ‘Of course I would,’ I replied, not dreaming what was to follow. But you know what followed. He brought me here, and here I am. It is safe to say that nothing more surprising ever happened during the whole course of my life. And now here we are, all together, with business of the most important kind before us.”
“Yes, business of the most important kind,” repeated Mr. Duncan, emphatically. And he muttered in an under-tone, half to himself: “And I’ll wager that he’ll carry it through. I said it wasn’t easy to outwit him.”
“After a good night’s rest we will proceed upon it in earnest,” continued Leonard.
“After a good night’s rest!” exclaimed Carlos, who seemed anxious to do something at once.
“Yes,” replied Leonard. “We all need it; or, at least, you and I do. And there is nothing to be done to-night.”
The wisdom of this course was apparent, and was soon admitted by all.