So I withdrew to my bed-chamber, and was sound asleep in no time. Nor did I wake till the mellow booming of the Japanese gong, which serves as dinner-bell in our establishment, broke in upon my slumbers.
As I rose to my feet, something dropped from the counterpane to the floor.
Stooping to pick it up, I discovered that it was a sheet of paper, folded in the form of a cocked hat, and bearing my name written across it in Josephine's hand.
“What earthly occasion can Josephine have for writing me a note?” I wondered.
Donning my spectacles, I read as follows:
“What ever shall we do? I cannot come and say this to you in person, for I dare not leave them alone together. But he has recognised Miriam!--J.”
It took fully a minute for the significance of that sentence: “He has recognised Miriam,” to percolate my understanding, still thick with the dregs of sleep. Then I started as if I had been stung; and rushing into the passage, I called “Josephine! Josephine!” at the top of my lungs.
|The passage was quite dark. From the end of it, directly behind me, came the response, “Yes, Leonard.”
“I have been waiting for you to wake. I did not wish to disturb your sleep,” she explained.
“Mr. Fairchild is in the guest-chamber, where he is to sleep. Miriam is in her room. I could not come to you so long as they were together. It would not do to leave them alone. That is why I wrote the note.”
By this time we were between my own four walls, and I had closed the door behind us.
“And now, for Heaven's sake, explain to me what this means,” I said, holding up the sheet of paper.
“It means what it says. He has recognised Miriam.”
“I only wish you were right,” sighed Josephine dolefully.
“But how--but why--but what--what makes you think so?” stammered I.
“His action when he first saw her--when she and t entered the room where he was, to greet him, this forenoon.”
“Oh, it is impossible--impossible!” I repeated, helplessly. “What was his action? What did he do?”
“He caught his breath, he started, he coloured up, and then turned white, and then red again.”
“Merciful Heavens!” I gasped, panic-stricken.
“What shall we do? What can we do?” my poor sister groaned.
“Did--did Miriam notice his embarrassment?”
“I think not. She did not appear to, anyhow.”