The girl fled. And simultaneously Miss Sibson rose, with a mixture of dignity and blandness, to receive Arthur Vaughan. The schoolmistress of that day who had not manner at command had nothing; for deportment ranked among the essentials. And she was quite at her ease. The same could not be said of the gentleman. But that his pride still smarted, but that the outrage of yesterday was fresh, but that he drew a savage satisfaction from the prospect of the apologies he was here to receive, he had not come. Even so, he had told himself more than once that he was a fool to come; a fool to set foot in the house. He was almost sure that he had done more wisely had he burned the letter in which the schoolmistress informed him that she had an explanation to offer—and so had made an end. But if in place of meeting him with humble apologies, this confounded woman were going to bear herself as if no amends were due, he had indeed made a mistake. Yet her manner said almost as much as that. “Pray be seated, sir,” she said; and she indicated a chair. He sat down stiffly, and glowered at her. “I received your note,” he said. She smoothed her ample lap, and looked at him more graciously. “Yes,” she said, “I was relieved to find that the unfortunate occurrence of yesterday was open to another explanation.” “I have yet,” he said curtly, “to hear the explanation.” Confound the woman’s impudence! “Exactly,” she said slowly. “Exactly. Well, it turns out that the parcel you left behind you when you”—for an instant a smile broke the rubicund placidity of her face—“when you retired so hurriedly contained a pelisse.” “Indeed?” he said drily. “Yes; and a letter.” “Oh?” “Yes; a letter from a lady who has for some years taken an interest in Miss Smith. The pelisse proved to be a gift from her.” “Then I fail to see——” “Exactly,” Miss Sibson interposed blandly, indeed too blandly. “You fail to see why you came to be selected as the bearer? So do I. Perhaps you can explain that.” “No,” he answered shortly. “Nor is that my affair. What I fail to see, Madam, is why Miss Smith did not at once suspect that the present came from the lady in question.” “Because,” Miss Sibson replied, “the lady was not known to be in this part of England; and because you, sir, maintained that Miss Smith had left the parcel in the coach.” “I maintained what I was told.” “But it was not the fact. However, let that pass.” “No,” Vaughan retorted, with some warmth. “For it seems to me, Madam, very extraordinary that in a matter which was capable of so simple an explanation you should have elected to insult a stranger—a stranger who——” “Who was performing no more than an office of civility, you would say?” “Precisely.” “Well—yes.” Miss Sibson spoke slowly, and was silent for a moment after she had spoken. Then, somewhat abruptly, “You are an usher, I think,” she said, “at Mr. Bengough’s?” Vaughan almost jumped in his chair. “I, Madam?” he cried. “Certainly not!”