the servant came into
the room, and Sir Hugh, in an angry voice, desired him to open the front
door. "Yes--open vide," said Sophie, who, when anger came upon her, was
apt to drop into a mode of speaking English, which she was able to avoid
in her cooler moments. "Sir 'Oo, I am going to valk, and you shall hear
of my valking."

"Am I to take that as a threat?" said he.

"Not a tret at all," said she; "only a promise. Ah! I am good to keep my
promises. Yes, I make a promise. Your poor wife--down with the daises; I
know all, and she shall hear, too. That is another promise. And your
brother, the captain. Oh! here he is, and the little man out of
Warwickshire." She had got up from her chair, and had moved toward the
door with the intention of going, but just as she was passing out into
the hall she encountered Archie and Doodles. Sir Hugh, who had been
altogether at a loss to understand what she had meant by the man out of
Warwickshire, followed her into the hall, and became more angry than
before at finding that his brother had brought a friend to his house at
so very inopportune a moment. The wrath in his face was so plainly
expressed that Doodles could perceive it, and wished himself away. The
presence also of the spy was not pleasant to the gallant captain. Was
the wonderful woman ubiquitous, that he should thus encounter her again,
and that so soon after all the things that he had spoken of her on this
morning? "How do you do, gentlemen?" said Sophie. "There is a great many
boxes here, and I with my crinoline have not got room." Then she shook
hands, first with Archie, and then with Doodles, and asked the latter
why he was not as yet gone to Warwickshire. Archie, in almost mortal
fear, looked up into his brother's face. Had his brother learned the
story of that seventy pounds? Sir Hugh was puzzled beyond measure at
finding that the woman knew the two men; but, having still an eye to his
lamb chops, was chiefly anxious to get rid of Sophie and Doodles
together.

"This is my friend Boodle--Captain Boodle," said Archie, trying to put a
bold face upon the crisis. "He has come to see me off."

"Very kind of him," said Sir Hugh. "Just make way for this lady, will
you? I want to get her out of the house if I can. Your friend seems to
know her; perhaps he'll be good enough to give her his arm."

"Who--I ?" said Doodles. "No, I don't know her particularly. I did meet
her once before, just once--in a casual way."

"Captai