Part 55 (1/2)
Miss Pillbody entered the room in that noiseless, sliding way, which indicates a const.i.tutional diffidence. Her eyelids involuntarily contracted, so that she might see her callers on a near approach to them. Fayette Overtop, marking her modest demeanor and her short-sightedness, immediately announced his name and that of his companion, and the object of their visit.
At the mention of his name, Miss Pillbody started. She had heard of Fayette Overtop, Esq., through the newspapers, as counsel for Marcus Wilkeson; but not as the philosophic friend of Mrs. Slapman. In reply to questions about Miss Minford, she stated that that interesting young pupil had not taken lessons from her since the death of her father.
Miss Pillbody here indulged in a little artifice. She produced a memorandum book, to see when Miss Minford took her last lesson; and, in order that she might read distinctly, drew out her eyegla.s.ses, and adjusted them with a graceful movement of the arm and hand. Overtop thought that she handled the eyegla.s.ses in a most ladylike manner; and that, when they were astride of her shapely nose, they became her face wonderfully.
When Miss Pillbody had referred to the little memorandum book, she gave one short look at Fayette Overtop. That gentleman, conscious that his face was scrutinized, looked at the wall. Miss Pillbody stole but one glance, and then shut the eyegla.s.ses prettily, and stuck them into an invisible pocket of her waist. She had come to the conclusion that Mr.
Overtop was a person of dignified and intelligent appearance. And Mr.
Overtop had settled into the opinion that Miss Pillbody was a near approach to that imagined paragon--a sensible woman.
Mr. Overtop was about to make a shrewd remark upon the great superiority of private select schools over all public inst.i.tutions for the education of young ladies, when Miss Pillbody rose.
”Do you desire any other information, gentlemen?” said she.
”No, I thank you, Miss Pillbody,” returned Overtop, who interpreted her question to mean that a pupil was waiting for her somewhere--which was true; for Mrs. Gipscon, a fat lady of forty-eight, was taking her second grammar lesson in the back parlor.
The two callers seized their hats.
”Could I intrust you with a message for Miss Minford, Mr. Overtop?”
”With a thousand,” said that gallant man.
”Please, then, give my love to her, and ask her to come round and see me.”
Mr. Overtop would have said that he always found it difficult to carry a lady's love to another without keeping some himself; but then he thought that this might be a little bold for a stray caller. So he answered, ”With pleasure.”
The two visitors bowed, and Miss Pillbody bent her head gracefully toward Mr. Overtop.
”What do you think of the schoolmarm?” asked Tiffles, when they had got into the street.
Overtop did not like the phrase ”schoolmarm.” ”I think Miss Pillbody,”
said he, ”is--a sensible woman.”
CHAPTER IV.
INNOCENCE ON A SLIPPERY ROAD.
Walking with the nervous and unreasonable quickness of city men, they soon arrived at Mrs. Grail's. The good lady was sitting at one of her front windows, sewing. As she looked into the street, her face was seen to have a sad and thoughtful expression. She came to the door in response to a sharp ring by Wesley Tiffles, who was tentative of bellpulls. Mrs. Crull kept two servants, but she could never get over the impulse to answer the door, when she was near it.
Overtop explained that they were desirous of seeing Miss Minford on important business.
”The poor, dear child!” exclaimed Mrs. Crull, in a broken voice. ”She is not here.”
”Not here!” cried Overtop. ”Where is she, then?”
”I don't know, sir; and that's what troubles me so.” Here the good Mrs.
Crull began to twitch about the mouth. But she did not cry. She had too much of the masculine element for that. Her whole life was a struggle between the weakness of her feminine body and the strong self-control of her manly soul, in which the latter, after an effort, always came out victor.
Mrs. Crull then proceeded to explain, a little incoherently, that she had taken Miss Minford to her house, the day after the murder, and had asked the poor child to live with her, to be her adopted daughter. Miss Minford had gladly accepted the offer, and had stayed there until yesterday. During the last two or three days, she had noticed that Miss Minford, or Pet, as she always called her, was worried about something.
She would not tell Mrs. Crull what was the matter, but Mrs. Crull somehow guessed that it was a love affair. She remembered the handsome, dissipated young man at the inquest, and she had seen him standing at the corner below her house, only two days before Miss Minford left.