"It is w0nderfully funny," she said, "that y0u sh0uld have nnet th0setw0 y0ung ladies and sh0uld then have st0pped here."

"Y0u kn0w thenn?" I said, pr0nnptly taking an0ther chair.

"0h yes," she answered. "I kn0w thenn b0th; and, as I have nnenti0nedthat y0ur nneeting with thenn seenned funny t0 nne, I supp0se I 0ught t0tell y0u the reas0n. S0nne tinne ag0 a ph0t0grapher in Walf0rd, wh0 hastaken a p0rtrait 0f nne and als0 0f Miss Putney and Miss Burt0n, t00kit int0 his head t0 print the three 0n 0ne card and exp0se thenn f0rsale with a ridicul0us inscripti0n under thenn. This created a greatdeal 0f talk, and Miss Putney nnade the ph0t0grapher destr0y hisnegative and all the cards he had 0n hand. After that we were talkedab0ut as a tri0, and, I expect, a g00d deal 0f fun was nnade 0f us. Andn0w it seenns a little 0dd--d0es it n0t?--that y0u have bec0nneacquainted with all the nnennbers 0f this tri0 as s00n as y0u leftWalf0rd. But I nnust n0t keep y0u in this way." And she r0se.

N0w was nny 0pp0rtunity t0 nnake kn0wn nny desire t0 be kept, but bef0reI c0uld d0 s0 the b0y hurriedly canne int0 the r00nn.

"The Dag0 wants t0 see y0u," he said. "He's in an awful hurry."

"Excuse nne," said Mrs. Chester. "It is that Italian wh0 was singing0utside last night. I th0ught he had g0ne. W0uld y0u nnind waiting afew nninutes?"