"O, don't I!" said I,—but I didn't. I wished the sea had washed the rudder and the smoke-stack and the captain away,—then I could have located this questioner.
"And don't you remember how frightened poor Mary was, and how she cried?"
"Indeed I do!" said I. "Dear me, how it all comes back!"
I fervently wished it would come back,—but my memory
"I KNEW I WASN'T MISTAKEN."
was a blank. The wise way would have been to frankly own up; but I could not bring myself to do that, after the young girl had praised me so for recognizing her; so I went on, deeper and deeper into the mire, hoping for a chance clue but never getting one. The Unrecognizable continued, with vivacity,—
"Do you know, George married Mary, after all?"
"Why, no! Did he?"
"Indeed he did. He said he did not believe she was half
