o reason why he should not have seen _you_."

"When did he see me?"

The captain corked up his doses of truth on the spot without a moment's
hesitation. "Some time ago, my dear. I can't exactly say when."

"Only once?"

Captain Wragge suddenly saw his way to the administration of another
dose. "Yes," he said, "only once."

She reflected a little. The next question involved the simultaneous
expression of two ideas, and the next question cost her an effort.

"He only saw me once," she said, "and he only saw me some time ago. How
came he to remember me when he found me here?"

"Aha!" said the captain. "Now you have hit the right nail on the head at
last. You can't possibly be more surprised at his remembering you than
I am. A word of advice, my dear. When you are well enough to get up
and see Mr. Kirke, try how that sharp question of yours sounds in _his_
ears, and insist on his answering it himself." Slipping out of the
dilemma in that characteristically adroit manner, Captain Wragge got
briskly on his legs again and took up his hat.

"Wait!" she pleaded. "I want to ask you--"

"Not another word," said the captain. "I have given you quite enough to
think of for one day. My time is up, and my gig is waiting for me. I am
off, to scour the country as usual. I am off, to cultivate the field
of public indigestion with the triple plowshare of aloes, scammony and
gamboge." He stopped and turned round at the door. "By-the-by, a message
from my unfortunate wife. If you will allow her to come and see you
again, Mrs. Wragge solemnly promises _not_ to lose her shoe next time.
_I_ don't believe her. What do you say? May she come?"

"Yes; whenever she likes," said Magdalen. "If I ever get well again, may
poor Mrs. Wragge come and stay with me?"

"Certainly, my dear. If you have no objection, I will provide her
beforehand with a few thousand impressions in red, blue, and yellow of
her own portrait ('You might have blown this patient away with a feather
before she took the Pill. Look at her now!'). She is sure to drop
herself about perpetually wherever she goes, and the most gratifying
results, in an advertising point of view, must inevitably follow. Don't
think me mercenary--I merely understand the age I live in." He stopped
on his way out, for the second time, and turned round once more at the
door. "You have been a remarkably good girl," he said, "and you deserve
to be rewarded for it. I'll give you a last piece of informa