"
"I mean there's a SONG with that refrain," hurriedly explained
Mrs. Riversedge, "and there's 'Rhoda, Rhoda kept a pagoda,' and
'Maisie is a daisy,' and heaps of others. Certainly it doesn't
sound like Mr. Brope to be singing such songs, but I think we
ought to give him the benefit of the doubt."
"I had already done so," said Mrs. Troyle, "until further evidence
came my way."
She shut her lips with the resolute finality of one who enjoys the
blessed certainty of being implored to open them again.
"Further evidence!" exclaimed her hostess; "do tell me!"
"As I was coming upstairs after breakfast Mr. Brope was just
passing my room. In the most natural way in the world a piece of
paper dropped out of a packet that he held in his hand and
fluttered to the ground just at my door. I was going to call out
to him 'You've dropped something,' and then for some reason I held
back and didn't show myself till he was safely in his room. You
see it occurred to me that I was very seldom in my room just at
that hour, and that Florinda was almost always there tidying up
things about that time. So I picked up that innocent-looking
piece of paper.
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