"He won't give his
name, ma'am, but says she's expecting him."
"Expecting him?"
"Yes, ma'am. I told him she was out, but he said he was intending
to stay a while anyway, and would wait. I asked his business, but he
wouldn't tell it."
"That's odd." Mrs. Dunn was slightly interested. "A tradesman, perhaps;
or an agent of the landlord."
"No-o, ma'am. I don't think he's either of them, ma'am."
"What sort of a person is he, Edwards?"
The butler's face twitched for an instant with a troubled smile. Then it
resumed its customary respectful calm.
"I hardly know, ma'am. He's an oddish man. He--I think he's from the
country."
From behind him came a quiet chuckle.
"You're right, Commodore," said a man s voice; "I'm from the country.
You guessed it."
Edwards jumped, startled out of his respectable wits. Mrs. Dunn rose
indignantly from her chair.
"I beg your pardon, ma'am," said the intruder, appearing in the doorway.
"You mustn't think I'm forcin' my way where I ain't wanted. But it
seemed to take so long to make the Admiral here understand that I was
goin' to wait until Caroline came back that I thought I'd save time and
breath by provin' it to him. I didn't know there was any company. Excuse
me, ma'am, I won't bother you.
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