The first question she asked related not to her own
residence, but to Noel Vanstone's.
"How near to us does he live?" she inquired, with the only betrayal of
emotion which had escaped her yet.
Captain Wragge answered by pointing to the fifth villa from North
Shingles, on the Slaughden side of Aldborough. Magdalen suddenly drew
back from the garden-gate as he indicated the situation, and walked away
by herself to obtain a nearer view of the house. Captain Wragge looked
after her, and shook his head, discontentedly.
"May I speak now?" inquired a meek voice behind him, articulating
respectfully ten inches above the top of his straw hat.
The captain turned round, and confronted his wife. The more than
ordinary bewilderment visible in her face at once suggested to him that
Magdalen had failed to carry out the directions in his letter; and that
Mrs. Wragge had arrived at Aldborough without being properly aware of
the total transformation to be accomplished in her identity and her
name. The necessity of setting this doubt at rest was too serious to
be trifled with; and Captain Wragge instituted the necessary inquiries
without a moment's delay.
"Stand straight, and listen to me," he began.
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