Haskins thereupon, and without further preamble, detailed the history of his love affair, and commented strongly on the wonderful likeness which existed between the two girls. Mrs. Pelham Odin interrupted him with little cries of astonishment, but gave no opinion until he finished his recital. "What do you think of it?" asked Haskins. "It is like a play! like a melodrama. But of course there are casual resemblances such as you describe." "This is more than a casual resemblance," interrupted Gerald quickly: "the two girls might be twins." "Oh, what a pity that Charity is leaving the stage," said Mrs. Pelham Odin, her theatrical instinct uppermost, "a comedy with twin girls in it would draw all the town. And that gives me an idea. I can assist you, if you can swear," she laid her hand on his arm, "that this Mavis Durham is not crazy." "I can swear, certainly. Would I wish to marry her if she were?" "Love may laugh at lunatic asylums as well as at rank," said the actress merrily, "but if you are certain that the girl is sane, why not let her take Charity's place in _The Moon-Fay?_" Haskins started to his feet. "Are you serious?" "Of course I am. You want to run away with this girl. If you do, Major Rebb--I know him, and a nasty man he is--will follow you, and make himself unpleasant. What you want to do is to conceal the girl somewhere until you can prove that her guardian is shutting her up illegally. Well then, Major Rebb must know of the wonderful resemblance of Charity to Mavis. If Charity marries Mr. Macandrew quietly she can go with him to Switzerland for a month's honeymoon, and even longer. I can teach Mavis the one dance which Charity performs in the ballet at the Belver Theatre, and she can take my girl's place." "But the theatre people will guess." "Oh, dear me, no," rejoined Mrs. Pelham Odin promptly. "I always go to the Belver myself to look after Charity. She scarcely speaks to a soul, my dear Mr. Haskins. I can take your Mavis there and back without anyone being the wiser, if the resemblance is as you say." Gerald caressed his chin. "It certainly is an excellent idea," he murmured. "Major Rebb, not knowing of Miss Bird's marriage, would not suspect the substitution. Thank you, Mrs. Pelham Odin, I shall think over the matter. I go down to Devonshire next week, or rather this week." "I know," the actress nodded; "one always does get mixed up about Sunday being the first day of the week. Well then, go down and make what arrangements you like. If you run away with the girl--and I quite think you should, if only to spite Major Rebb, whom I detest--you cannot conceal her better than in the way I suggest. It is quite a variation of Poe's 'Purloined Letter.' The scheme is so daring that it must succeed. But hush!" she made a dramatic pause, and raised her finger, "here comes Romeo and Juliet. Not a word."