"The favor is granted, of course!" he said. "And now, tell me, how is our dear Eustace?"
"Anxious and out of spirits." I answered.
"Anxious and out of spirits!" repeated the Major. "The enviable man who is married to You anxious and out of spirits? Monstrous! Eustace fairly disgusts me. I shall take him off the list of my friends."
"In that case, take me off the list with him, Major. I am in wretched spirits too. You are my husband's old friend. I may acknowledge to you that our married life is just now not quite a happy one."
Major Fitz-David lifted his eyebrows (dyed to match his whiskers) in polite surprise.
"Already!" he exclaimed. "What can Eustace be made of? Has he no appreciation of beauty and grace? Is he the most insensible of living beings?"
"He is the best and dearest of men," I answered. "But there is some dreadful mystery in his past life--"
I could get no further; Major Fitz-David deliberately stopped me. He did it with the smoothest politeness, on the surface. But I saw a look in his bright little eyes which said, plainly, "If you will venture on delicate ground, madam, don't ask me to accompany you."
"My charming friend!" he exclaimed. "May I call you my charming friend? You have--among a thousand other delightful qualities which I can see already--a vivid imagination. Don't let it get the upper hand. Take an old fellow's advice; don't let it get the upper hand! What can I offer you, dear Mrs. Woodville? A cup of tea?"
"Call me by my right name, sir," I answered, boldly. "I have made a discovery. I know as well as you do that my name is Macallan."
The Major started, and looked at me very attentively. His manner became grave, his tone changed completely, when he spoke next.
"May I ask," he said, "if you have communicated to your husband the discovery which you have just mentioned to me?"
"Certainly!" I answered. "I consider that my husband owes me an explanation. I have asked him to tell me what his extraordinary conduct means--and he has refused, in language that frightens me. I have appealed to his mother--and she has refused to explain, in language that humiliates me. Dear Major Fitz-David, I have no friends to take my part: I have nobody to come to but you! Do me the greatest of all favors--tell me why your friend Eustace has married me under a false name!"