Mickleham. They stopped.

I walked on. Mickleham seized me by the coat tails.

"Do you mean to cut us?" he cried.

"Yes," said I.

"Why, what the deuce?--" he began.

"I've seen your mother," said I. "I wish, Mickleham, that when
you do happen to intrude as you did the other day, you wouldn't
repeat what you see."

"Lord!" he cried. "She's not heard of that. I only told Aunt
Cynthia."

I said something about "Aunt Cynthia."

"Does--does she know it all?" asked Miss Dolly.

"More than all--much more."

"Didn't you smooth it over?" said Miss Dolly reproachfully.

"On reflection," said I, "I don't know that I did--much." (I
hadn't, you know.)

Suddenly Mickleham burst out laughing.