Before I could reply, Mrs. Knapp's voice was in my ear, and Mrs. Knapp's figure was in the archway of the alcove. “Oh, you are here,” she said. “I thought I heard your voices. Luella, your father wants to see you a minute. And how do you do, Mr. Wilton?” I greeted Mrs. Knapp cordially, though I wished that she had delayed her appearance, and looked regretfully after Luella. “I want to thank you for your heroism the other evening,” she said. “Oh, it was nothing,” I answered lightly. “Any one would have done the same.” “Perhaps--but none the less we are all very grateful. If I had only suspected that anything of the kind could have happened, I should never have allowed them to go.” I felt rebelliously glad that she had not suspected. “I blame myself for it all,” I bowed. “It was very careless of me.” “I'm afraid so, after all the warning you have had,” said Mrs. Knapp. “But as it turned out, no harm was done,” I said cheerfully. “I suppose so,” said Mrs. Knapp absently. Then she spoke with sudden attention. “Do you think your enemies followed you there?” I was taken aback with the vision of the Wolf figure in the grimy passage, a fiend in the intoxication of opium, and stammered for a reply. “My snake-eyed friend made himself a little familiar, I'm afraid,” I admitted. “It is dreadful that these dangers should follow you everywhere,” said Mrs. Knapp with feeling. “You must be careful.” “I have developed eyes in the back of my head,” I said, smiling at her concern. “I fear you need more than that. Now tell me how it all happened, just as you saw it. I'm afraid Luella was a little too hysterical to give a true account of it.” I gave her the story of the scene in the passage, with a few judicious emendations. I thought it hardly worth while to mention Doddridge Knapp's appearance, or a few other items that were more precious to me than to anybody else. When I had done Mrs. Knapp sighed. “There must be an end of this some day,” she said. “I hope the day isn't far off,” I confessed, “unless it should happen to be the day the coroner is called on to take a particular interest in my person.” Mrs. Knapp shuddered. “Oh no, no--not that way.” Then after a pause, she continued: “Would you not rather attack your dangers at once, and have them over, than to wait for them to seek you?” I felt a trifle uneasy at this speech. There seemed to be a suggestion in it that I could end the whole matter by marching on my enemies, and coming to decisive battle. I wished I knew what she was hinting at, and how it was to be done, before I answered. “I haven't felt any particular disposition to hunt them up,” I confessed, “but if I could cut off all the heads of the hydra at once, it would be worth while. Anything for peace and quiet, you know.” Mrs. Knapp smiled. “Well, there is no use challenging your fate. There is no need for you to act, unless the boy is in danger.” “Oh, no, none at all,” I replied unblushingly.