Before coming to the inn he had called on
Professor Braddock, and from him had heard all about the
wickedness of Mrs. Jasher. His surprise was very great.
"I should not have believed it," he declared. "Poor woman!"
"Ah," said Random, rather pleased, "you are more merciful than
the Professor, Hope. He calls her a bad woman."
"Humph! I don't think that Braddock is so good that he can
afford to throw a stone," said Archie rather sourly. "Mrs.
Jasher has not behaved well, but I should like to hear her
complete story before judging. There must be a lot of good in
her, or Lucy, who has been with her a great deal, would have
found her out long ago. I go by a woman's judgment of a woman.
But Mrs. Jasher must have been anxious to marry."
"She was; as Professor Braddock knows," said Random quickly.
"I am not thinking of that so much as of what Widow Anne told
me."
"Oh," said Don Pedro, looking up from where he was seated, "so
you have seen that old woman? What does she say about the
clothes?"
"She sticks to her story. Sidney, she declares, borrowed the
clothes to give to me for a model. Now, I never asked Bolton to
do this, so I fancy the disguise must have been intended for
himself, or for Mrs.
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