" In five minutes more we were in Dr. Wybrow's study.
My watch tells me that I cannot hope to finish this letter by post time.
Accept what I have written thus far--and be assured that the conclusion
of my report shall follow a day later.
II.
The doctor began cautiously. "Winterfield is not a very common name," he
said. "But it may not be amiss, Father Benwell, to discover, if we can,
whether _your_ Winterfield is the man of whom I am in search. Do you
only know him by name? or are you a friend of his?"
I answered, of course, that I was a friend.
Dr. Wybrow went on. "Will you pardon me if I venture on an indiscreet
question? When you are acquainted with the circumstances, I am sure you
will understand and excuse me. Are you aware of any--what shall I call
it?--any romantic incident in Mr. Winterfield's past life?"
This time--feeling myself, in all probability, on the brink of
discovery--I was careful to preserve my composure. I said, quietly:
"Some such incident as you describe has occurred in Mr. Winterfield's
past life." There I stopped discreetly, and looked as if I knew all
about it.
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