Lawton: “Well, if you’ll notice, this is a right one. The one at home is left.”
Curwen, staring helplessly at it: “Gracious Powers! what shall I do?”
Lawton: “Pray that Mrs. Curwen may never come.”
Mr. Curwen, dashing through the door: “I’ll be back by the time Mr. Campbell returns.”
Mrs. Miller, with tokens of breaking down visible to Mrs. Roberts: “I wonder what could have kept Mr. Miller. It’s so very mysterious, I”—
Mrs. Roberts, suddenly seizing her by the arm, and hurrying her from the room: “Now, Mrs. Miller, you’ve just got time to see my baby.”
Mr. Roberts, winking at his remaining guests: “A little cry will do them good. I saw as soon as Willis came in instead of her aunt, that my wife couldn’t get through without it. They’ll come back as bright as”—
Lawton: “Bemis, should you mind a bereaved father falling upon your neck?”
Bemis: “Yes, Lawton, I think I should.”
Lawton: “Well, it is rather odd about all those people. You can say of one or two that they’ve been delayed, but five people can’t have been delayed. It’s too much. It amounts to a coincidence. Hello! What’s that?”