"I do not know."
"I must find out," said the youth. "I was greatly taken with Miss Sidney; she was a very charming young lady. We shall miss her."
At that instant there came the announcement:
"Miss Sidney left the house because she was robbed."
Every one started. No one appeared to know who had spoken, but the young man gave a start, turned pale and asked in a voice that trembled perceptibly:
"Who says she was robbed?"
At that moment the landlady returned to the room. She saw that something had gone wrong.
"What is the matter?" she asked.
No one answered, and there followed a moment's awkward silence, broken at length by the bumptious young man, who said: