the dining-room, the American comprehended why the plain-clothes officer, whom Mr. Dunneston had marked for him the day before, gave him only a cursory and, if anything, rather a commending glance. And he was prepared for his former friend's apologetic greeting, as he met Mr. Dunneston himself passing out.
"A pardon for a grave, a very grave error, Mr. Preston!" the Englishman requested soberly. "A pardon, please, Mr. Preston! But you must rather well agree," he excused himself, "that till this, things were jolly well against you, what?"
"But this?"
"Ah; this I can say safely, Mr. Preston, is not only entirely inconsistent without previous possible notion of you, sir; it is, indeed, quite prohibitive of it. Ah; quite conclusively prohibitive, I assure you!"
"I am glad this has satisfied even you, sir!" The American bowed his acknowledgment and went on to his table.
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