She quietly waited until he had done, and
then returned to the charge.
"It is a coincidence that your uncle should have once resided in
Vauxhall Walk," she said, addressing herself to Magdalen. "Mr. Noel
has a house in the same place, and we lived there before we came to
Aldborough. May I inquire, Miss Bygrave, whether you know anything of a
lady named Miss Garth?"
This time she put the question before the captain could interfere.
Magdalen ought to have been prepared for it by what had already passed
in her presence, but her nerves had been shaken by the earlier events of
the day; and she could only answer the question in the negative, after
an instant's preliminary pause to control herself. Her hesitation was
of too momentary a nature to attract the attention of any unsuspicious
person. But it lasted long enough to confirm Mrs. Lecount's private
convictions, and to encourage her to advance a little further.
"I only asked," she continued, steadily fixing her eyes on Magdalen,
steadily disregarding the efforts which Captain Wragge made to join
in the conversation, "because Miss Garth is a stranger to me, and I am
curious to find out what I can about her.
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