"I'm much obliged to Mrs. Knapp," I said politely. I was in deep
waters. It was plainly unsafe to do anything but drift.

"Oh, you can settle that with her at your next call," he said good
humoredly.

The jaded nerves of surprise refused to respond further. If I had
received a telegram informing me that the dispute over the presidency
had been settled by shelving both Hayes and Tilden and giving the
unanimous vote of the electors to me, I should have accepted it as a
matter of course. I took my place unquestioningly as a valued
acquaintance of Doddridge Knapp's and a particular friend of Mrs.
Knapp's.

Yet it struck me as strange that the keen-eyed King of the Street had
failed to discover that he was not talking to Henry Wilton, but to some
one else who resembled him. There were enough differences in features
and voice to distinguish us among intimate friends, though there were
not enough to be seen by casual acquaintances. I had the key in the
next sentence he spoke.

"I have decided that it is better this time to do our business face to
face. I don't want to trust messengers on this affair, and even cipher
notes are dangerous,--confoundedly dangerous."

Then we had not been close acquaintances.

"Oh, by the way, you have that other cipher yet, haven't you?" he
asked.