Surprise silenced Hugh for the moment. Iris understood the look that he
fixed on her, and answered it. "I am quite sure," she told him, "of
what I say."
Mountjoy's well-balanced mind hesitated at rushing to a conclusion.
"I am sure you are convinced of what you tell me," he said. "But
mistakes do sometimes happen in forming a judgment of handwriting."
In the state of excitement that now possessed her, Iris was easily
irritated; she was angry with Hugh for only supposing that she might
have made a mistake. He had himself, as she reminded him, seen Lord
Harry's handwriting in past days. Was it possible to be mistaken in
those bold thickly-written characters, with some of the letters so
quaintly formed? "Oh, Hugh, I am miserable enough as it is," she broke
out; "don't distract me by disputing what I know! Think of a woman so
kind, so disinterested, so charming--the very opposite of a false
creature--think of Mrs. Vimpany having deceived me!"
There was not the slightest reason, thus far, for placing that
interpretation on what had happened. Mountjoy gently, very gently,
remonstrated.
"My dear, we really don't know yet that Mrs. Vimpany has been acting
under Lord Harry's instructions. Wait a little before you suspect your
fellow-traveller of offering her services for the purpose of deceiving
you."
Iris was angry with him again: "Why did Mrs. Vimpany never tell me she
knew Lord Harry? Isn't that suspicious?"
Mountjoy smiled. "Let me put a question on my side," he said. "Did
you tell Mrs. Vimpany you knew Lord Harry?" Iris made no reply; her
face spoke for her. "Well, then," he urged, "is your silence
suspicious? I am far, mind, from saying that this may not be a very
unpleasant discovery. Only let us be sure first that we are right."
With most of a woman's merits, Miss Henley had many of a woman's
faults. Still holding to her own conclusion, she asked how they could
expect to be sure of anything if they addressed their inquiries to a
person who had already deceived them.
Mountjoy's inexhaustible indulgence still made allowances for her.
"When Mrs. Vimpany comes back," he said, "I will find an opportunity of
mentioning Lord Harry's name. If she tells us that she knows him, there
will be good reason in that one circumstance, as it seems to me, for
continuing to trust her."
"Suppose she shams ignorance," Iris persisted, "and looks as if she had
never heard of his name before?"