Mrs.De Peyster sank into one of the chairs.

The Reverend Mr.Pyecroft drew the other up to face her and sat down.
"Miss Thompson," he began, "I have a very serious proposition to lay before you." Mrs.De Peyster shrank away.

An awful premonition burst upon her.

It was coming! This impudent, pompous, philandering clergyman was about to propose to her! To _her!_ She gave a swift horrified glance at Matilda, who gave back a look of sympathetic understanding.
Then Mrs.De Peyster's horror at the indignity changed to horror of quite another sort; for the Reverend Mr.Pyecroft was leaning confidentially close to her, eyes into hers, and was saying in a low voice:-- "I suppose, Miss Thompson, you are not aware how much you look like a certain great lady, a famous social leader?
To be explicit, like Mrs.
De Peyster ?" She sank back, mere jelly with a human contour.

So she was discovered! She rolled her eyes wildly toward Matilda; Matilda rolled wild eyes toward her.
"It is really a remarkable likeness," went on the low voice of the Reverend Mr.Pyecroft.