“Delighted. Come to side entrance at half-past eight; present enclosed and you will be shown up.
At half-past eight we were waiting in Mrs. Harris’s private parlor--there were several ladies there beside ourselves. Of all nights, why couldn’t they keep away this night?--when Mrs. Harris’s maid brought up the envelope we had addressed to ourselves.
Why in the world wouldn’t those other women go? And would there be any callers in the private parlor to-night?
“Dr. Moreau!” announced Mrs. Harris’s maid.
Into the room walked the “Professor,” green goggles and all. Who in the world was _he_ coming to see? What was he doing here any way? And on this night of all nights when we were looking for Captain Locke and wishing for as few witnesses as possible! Through the open door behind the “Professor,” we caught a glimpse of Mrs. Bonds out in the hall, following him with curious eyes. If we could only slip down-stairs and keep the captain from coming up to-night! And why didn’t the girl bring the captain in? Milicent was rising to go out into the hall, when the “Professor,” having glanced around the room, approached us.
“I was invited to call on some ladies here this evening? Am I in the wrong room?” said a perfectly strange voice, the voice you would expect to hear from a fossil.
We looked up in confusion. If we could only get him out of the way before the captain entered! He waited while we pondered how to answer.
“What ladies do you wish to see?” I asked.
“Well, this _is_ good! Little madam, may I take this seat beside you?”
He dropped into the chair between us and we caught for an instant his old merry laugh, “nipped in the bud,” it is true, for we gave him a warning glance. Mrs. Harris was considerate and tactful, and we not only had our corner to ourselves, but attention and observation diverted from us as much as possible. We were much amused at Captain Locke’s “make-up,” and he was evidently very proud of it.
“It must be very clever for _your_ eyes not to have seen through it,” he said. “I have been looking up at your window and watching you every day. I saw, too, that you made merry at my expense. It was a great temptation to speak to you many times, but I didn’t want to make advances nor to ask permission to call until I knew something about how the land lay over here.”