Stay! one other person knew the true name of Mrs. Clover's
husband--Polly Sparkes.
"Polly be hanged," muttered Gammon.
"When is the wedding?" Greenacre inquired casually in one of their
conversations.
"Wedding? Whose wedding?"
"Why, yours."
Gammon's face darkened. A change had come about in his emotions. He
was afraid of Polly, he was weary of Polly, he heartily wished he
had never seen Polly's face. For self-scrutiny Gammon had little
inclination and less aptitude; he could not have explained the
origin and progress of his nearer relations with Miss Sparkes. Going
straight to the point, like a man of business, he merely knew that
he had made a condemnable mistake, and the question was how to put
things right.
"There's one bit of luck," he remarked, instead of answering the
inquiry, "she isn't on speaking terms with her aunt."
"I'm rather glad to hear that. But do you think she'll hold out
against her curiosity?"
"In any case she won't learn anything from Mrs. Clover. I'm pretty
sure of that."
"I can only hope you're right about Mrs.
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