"Is it ?--no, it cannot be--is it Miss Clyde ?" I asked.
"Ah!" he grunted, oracularly.

"You knows best about that, sir!" "Well, don't you dare, Shuffler," I savagely retorted, "to couple that lady's name with Mr Mawley's!" I was literally boiling over with fury at the very suspicion:--it was the realisation of my worst fears! "You've no cause to get angry, Mr Lorton," said he.

"I didn't name no names, sir; tho' you might be further out, as far as that goes! I didn't know as you was interested in the lady, or I shouldn't 'a mentioned it." "You're quite wrong--quite wrong altogether, Shuffler.

Why, the thing's absurd!" I said.
"Well, you know you axed me, sir; and what could I say ?" he said apologetically.
"That may be," I said, less hotly.

"But you had better not couple people's names together in that way.