"If you had seen the meeting, you would have thought so!" laughed Constable. "Not effusive, mind you--just genuine, pleased surprise. The sort I should have, if I were to meet Paca, unexpectedly, in London." "It will be safe to put them, then, in the same room?" the Colonel observed. "I should judge so--though Herford and I will move out, if you want to give him a separate room." "By no means! By no means!" said the Colonel, heartily.--"Well, what do you make of it?" when Constable had gone on. "He addressed him as Parkington, and the meeting seems to be a mutual surprise. Pretty fair evidence, besides his own, that he is the genuine Sir Edward, is it not?" "Yes, it is!" said Maynadier, slowly; "but not conclusive. I should like to know, whether they had met before, and arranged this Coffee-house affair." The Governor thought a moment. "It is possible--it depends on when Brandon arrived in Annapolis, and whether Parkington had an opportunity to see him. I will dispatch a man, at once, to investigate." Later in the day, he summoned Maynadier to his rooms. His coat and waistcoat were off, and he was enjoying, at his ease, his long-stemmed pipe. He motioned Maynadier to one, also, and waited until he had filled and lighted it. "I have investigated," he said, "and there was no collusion, no pre-arrangement of the meeting. Brandon arrived in Annapolis, at Reynolds' Tavern, about seven o'clock that evening, from Frederick, he had supper, and then retired to his room, where he remained until near eleven. He then went out, walking in the direction of Church Street--when he returned, an hour or so later, Parkington accompanied him." "And Parkington?" said Maynadier. "I left him, after supper, at my house, to go to the State House.--Old Moses, my butler, says he remained in the drawing-room, reading, until a little after ten, when he left, to go to the Coffee-house. And Sparrow says, he reached there about half-after-ten." "He was not to Reynolds' Tavern in the meantime?" Maynadier asked. "No--in that point Reynolds is very positive. He says that Brandon had no visitors in the evening." "Then, there must be two Sir Edward Parkingtons, and both friends of Baltimore," said Maynadier. "It is entirely possible, of course, but most unlikely." "You still hold to it that we are entertaining an impostor?" asked the Governor. "No--not exactly--I am ready to be convinced either way. In the interim, I should let the letters decide. He presented them and they are genuine; they, and his conduct, will have justified your recognition."