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"Sweets to the sweet," he murmured, and looked at her meaningly. "White heather to White Heather." Then he saw what he had done, and checked himself instantly. Mrs. Forbes-Gaskell coloured up in the usual manner. "I I don't quite understand," she faltered. Charles scrambled out of it somehow.
So Charles managed to disengage the Professor from his friend, sent Amelia on with Forbes-Gaskell towards the castle, and stopped behind, himself, with Sir Adolphus and me, to clear up the question. "Do you know this man, Cordery?" he asked, with some little suspicion. "Know him? Why, of course I do," Sir Adolphus answered.
Forbes-Gaskell, all smiles, accompanied us. I don't know whether it was Charles's warning to take nothing for granted that made me do so but I kept a close eye upon the suspected man all the time we were at table. It struck me there was something very odd about his hair. It didn't seem quite the same colour all over.
"He's Marmaduke Forbes-Gaskell, of the Yorkshire College, a very distinguished man of science. Modesty forbade him to name the exception. "But are you sure it's he?" Charles inquired, with growing doubt. "Have you known him before? This isn't a second case of Schleiermachering me, is it?" "Sure it's he?" Sir Adolphus echoed. "Am I sure of myself?
Forbes-Gaskell accepted the invitation with the utmost alacrity. She was profuse in her thanks, indeed; for she told us the Arms was an ill-kept house, and the cookery by no means agreed with her husband's liver. It was sweet of us to invite them; such kindness to perfect strangers was quite unexpected.
It appears to me you entirely misunderstand the position and duties of a private secretary!" The oddest part of it all, however, was this that Charles, being convinced Forbes-Gaskell, though he wasn't Colonel Clay, had been fraudulently salting the rocks with gold, with intent to deceive, took no further notice of the alleged discoveries.
Forbes-Gaskell blush again that delicious blush of hers. During all this time the Professor went on calmly and persistently mineralogising. "Wonderful character!" Charles said to me. "He works out his parts so well! Could anything exceed the picture he gives one of scientific ardour?" And, indeed, he was at it, morning, noon, and night.
Colonel Clay or no Colonel Clay, he's been salting my rocks with gold-bearing quartz, and trying to lead me on into an absurd speculation!" Sir Adolphus exploded. "Oh, this is too good," he cried. "I must go and tell Marmy!" And he rushed off to where Forbes-Gaskell was seated on a corner of rock with Amelia. As for Charles and myself, we returned to the house.
Anyhow, you're a rogue, and you tried to bamboozle me!" Forbes-Gaskell, white with rage, turned to his trembling wife. "Gertrude," he said, "pack up your box and come away from these people instantly. Their pretended hospitality has been a studied insult. They've put you and me in a most ridiculous position.
Half an hour later Forbes-Gaskell came back, too, in a towering temper. "What is the meaning of this, sir?" he shouted out, as soon as he caught sight of Charles. "I'm told you've invited my wife and myself here to your house in order to spy upon us, under the impression that I was Clay, the notorious swindler!" "I thought you were," Charles answered, equally angry. "Perhaps you may be still!
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