"He saw no one but myself.

Where Mrs.Deramore made her mistake--I happen to know, Mitchington, that she started this rumour--was in trying to make two and two into five.

She saw this man crossing the Close, as if from Ransford's house and she at once imagined he'd seen and been talking with Ransford." "Old fool!" said Mitchington.

"Of course, that's how these tales get about.

However, there's more than that in the air." The two listeners behind the curtains glanced at each other.