briskly, but not sharply--

'Well, _I_ don't know, I'm sure, Miss; no, indeed, you must have mistaken;
there's nothing that _I_ know.'

There was a little pause, and he added--

'No. He never mentioned any friend to me.' I fancied that he was made
uncomfortable by my question, and wanted to hide the truth. Perhaps I was
partly right.

'Oh! Doctor Bryerly, pray, _pray_ who is the friend, and where is he
going?'

'I do _assure_ you,' he said, with a strange sort of impatience, 'I don't
know; it is all nonsense.'

And he turned to go, looking, I think, annoyed and disconcerted.

A terrific suspicion crossed my brain like lightning.

'Doctor, one word,' I said, I believe, quite wildly. 'Do you--do you think
his mind is at all affected?'

'Insane?' he said, looking at me with a sudden, sharp inquisitiveness, that
brightened into a smile. 'Pooh, pooh! Heaven forbid! not a saner man in
England.'

Then with a little nod he walked on, carrying, as I believed,
notwithstanding his disclaimer, the secret with him. In the afternoon