Her wiles had given way before superior stratagem, and perhaps before something in herself that played traitor.
"You mean you know about him ?" she asked, almost confidentially.
"Not all I want to--yet.

He's a sharp customer.

But considerably more than you do, Polly, my dear." "I don't believe you!" "That has nothing to do with it.

Suppose you ask me a question or two.
I might be able to tell you something you would like to know." It was said, of course, without any suspicion of the real state of things; but Gammon saw at once that he had excited an eager curiosity.
"You know where he is, then ?" asked Polly.
"Well--we'll say so." "Where?
When did _you_ see him last ?" "We're going too quickly, old girl.

The question is, When did you see him last ?" "Ah! you'd like to know, wouldn't you ?" Gammon burst out laughing, ever the surest way of baffling a silly woman.