“To think of you deceiving me,” exclaimed Mr. Carruthers, “and me a justice of the peace.  I’ve a thocht to bring you up for conspiracy.”

“There can be no conspiracy without at least two persons,” answered the detective.

“But, man, you are two persons, that I’ve known off and on as Chisholm and Nash.”

“When he was one of my masters,” put in the dominie, “his name was Dowling.”

“And this morning,” remarked the man of aliases, with a smile, “I was Miss Du Plessis or Martha Baggs, so Rawdon will have hard work to find the lady of his affections.”

At this juncture Coristine and his fair companions entered, and, while the young Marjorie renewed her acquaintance, Wilkinson was gravely introduced to one of his own teachers, to the no little amusement of the lady herself, of the lawyer, and of the company generally who were in the secret.  Miss Carmichael explained that Mr. Perrowne had declined to come to dinner, but would look in later in the day when Cecile came home; whereat many smiled, and the dominie frowned heavily.  Mrs. Carruthers now announced dinner, when the Squire took in his sister, Wilkinson, her daughter, Coristine, Marjorie, and Mr. Errol, the hostess.  All the pairs agreed in congratulating themselves on the absence of the Grinstun man, and looked with approbation on Mr. Nash, who, all alone but cheerful, brought up the rear.  There was no room at the table for the five youthful Carruthers, who rejoiced in the fact and held high carnival in the kitchen with Tryphena and Tryphosa and their maternal grandfather.  Mr. Errol had said grace, and dinner was in progress, when the hall door was heard to open, and, immediately, on went the detective’s facial disguise.  But the lightness of the step that followed it reassured him, so that his smooth features once more appeared.  Shortly afterwards Miss Du Plessis entered, apologizing for her lateness, and taking the vacant chair between the host and the dominie.

“I was really frightened,” she said to the former, “by a dreadful little man, with an Indian hat and a knapsack, who stopped and asked me if I was Miss Do Please-us.  When I told him that my name was Du Plessis, he became much agitated, and cried ’Then I’m done, sold again and the money paid,’ after which he used such very bad language that I actually ran away from him.  I looked round, however, and saw him hurrying away towards the Talfourds’.”  Wilkinson looked very fierce and warlike, and attacked his food as if it were the obnoxious Rawdon.

“Cecile,” said Miss Carmichael across the indignant dominie, “I told a fib about you this morning, but quite innocently.  I said you would not be home to dinner.”

“Neither I would, were it not that Mrs. Talfourd’s sister came in after church, and offered to stay with her the rest of the day.  Whom did you tell?”

“Your devoted friend, Mr. Perrowne.”

Miss Du Plessis blushed a little, and the schoolmaster cut the clergyman up several times and stuck his fork into him savagely.  Then he commenced a conversation with the Squire, into which the lady between them was almost necessarily drawn.  Mr. Nash edified Mrs. Carmichael; her daughter conversed with the minister, to the latter’s delight; while Coristine divided his attentions between the hostess and Marjorie.