It ended in his pacifying Miss Hoighty, by kissing her hand, and leading her (as he might have led a duchess) out of the room.
"I hope that foolish girl has not annoyed you--at such a time as this," he said, very earnestly, when he returned to the sofa.

"I can't tell you how grieved I am at what has happened.

I was careful to warn you, as you may remember.

Still, if I could only have foreseen--" I let him proceed no further.

No human forethought could have provided against what had happened.