“She is sufficiently remarkable to be very superior to Mr. Eugene Wrayburn⁠—though an ordinary person might be that,” said the schoolmaster; “and I hope you will not think it impertinent in me, sir, to ask why you put the two names together?”

“By mere accident,” returned the Secretary. “Observing that Mr. Wrayburn was a disagreeable subject with you, I tried to get away from it: though not very successfully, it would appear.”

“Do you know Mr. Wrayburn, sir?”

“No.”

“Then perhaps the names cannot be put together on the authority of any representation of his?”

“Certainly not.”