Billy heard of Mr.
Hedderwick it would make him think of things."

Robert had an instinctive repugnance to the plan. In some obscure way it
savored of criminality, and the shackles of convention were still not
wholly broken. But in the end Tony again triumphed, and the blameless
Hedderwick was dubbed Bangs. He did not particularly care for the
choice; but as Tony said he looked the perfect essential Bangs and that
any other name would be unthinkable, Robert gave way.

"Oh, and I saw some one else," continued Tony when the point was
settled. "A remarkably pretty girl. She, too, entered The Quiet
House--some time after Billy. I had seen him safely in, and was waiting
by the roadside when she came along. She snubbed me--quite
properly,--but was kindly careless enough to drop a card. It bore the
name of Miss Arkwright, who, I understand, owns The Quiet House. But
somehow I don't feel sure that the card is hers."

"Why?"

"Dunno," said Tony with a dissatisfied air. "I haven't any reasonable
evidence. A kind of intuition, I suppose, more than anything else.
Somehow she doesn't _look_ an Arkwright,--she hasn't got an Arkwright
personality. Now, you simply exude Bangs at every pore,--_you're_ all
right."

"What was she like?"

"Bangs being a respectable married man, mere good looks have no interest
for him." ("Oh, but they have!" interrupted Robert with a naif
eagerness.) "Well, they oughtn't to, then. As a matter of fact, she was
deucedly pretty, and--good lord!"

He broke off and jumped to his feet in a listening attitude. Robert did
the same, for in the porch they heard the voice of Lionel--or "Billy,"
as they had named their anonymous friend--in conversation with the
landlord. The two men were discussing the weather, and Tony and his
partner looked frantically at each other for a plan. In another minute
Lionel might enter the parlor, and there was no escape. The door was but
a yard distant from the porch: the window opened on the road. To leave
the room by either egress might mean discovery, and for Robert to be
recognized by Lionel would ruin all. That is, it might effectively put
an end to the development of the adventure, for if "Billy's" suspicions
were awakened he might take the first train back to town. At least he
would be put on his guard, and that would make things more difficult
than ever. It was imperative that Robert should be hidden from sight.
But where? He could not be concealed under the table, for