A knock at the door interrupted Mrs. Holloway; she looked out of the window. "Oh, here he comes, up the steps," continued she, "after his sober evening promenade, and _his_ Mr. Russell with--and, I declare, the mulatto woman with him. Now for it!" Howard entered the room, went up to his aunt, and said, in a low voice,-- "Ma'am, poor Cuba is come; she is rather tired with walking, and she is gone to rest herself in the front parlour." "Her lameness, though," pursued little Oliver, who followed Howard into the room, "is almost well. I just asked her how high she thought the coach was from which she was--" A look from Howard made Oliver stop short; for though he did not understand the full meaning of it, he saw it was designed to silence him. Howard was afraid of betraying Holloway's secret to Mr. Supine or to Mrs. Holloway: his aunt sent him out of the room with some message to Cuba, which gave Mrs. Holloway an opportunity of opening her business. "Pray," said she, "might I presume to ask--for I perceive the young gentleman has some secret to keep from me, which he may have good reasons for--may I, just to satisfy my own mind, presume to ask whether, as her name leads one to guess, your Cuba, Mrs. Howard, is a mulatto woman?" Surprised by the manner of the question, Mrs. Howard coldly replied, "Yes, madam--a mulatto woman." "And she is lame, I think, sir, you mentioned?" persisted the curious lady, turning to little Oliver. "Yes, she's a little lame still; but she will soon be quite well." "Oh! then, her lameness came, I presume, from an accident, sir, and not from her birth?" "From an accident, ma'am." "Oh! an accident--a fall--a fall from a coach--from a stage-coach, perhaps," continued Mrs. Holloway, smiling significantly at Mr. Supine: "you take me for a conjuror, young gentleman, I see by your astonishment," continued she to Oliver; "but a little bird told me the whole story; and I see Mrs. Howard knows how to keep a secret as well as myself." Mrs. Howard looked for an explanation. "Nay," said Mrs. Holloway, "you know best, Mrs. Howard; but as we're all _out of school_ now, I shall not be afraid to mention such a little affair, even before the doctor's lady; for, to be sure, she would never let it reach the doctor's ears." "Really, ma'am," said Mrs. Howard, "you puzzle me a little; I wish you would explain yourself: I don't know what it is that you would not have reach the doctor's ears." "You don't?--well, then, your nephew must have been very clever, to have kept you in the dark; mustn't he, Mr. Supine?" "I always, you know, thought the young gentleman very _clever_, ma'am," said Mr. Supine, with a malicious emphasis.