Asking about this girl's height and general appearance (for the
possibility of a substitution was already in my mind), I found that she
was of slight figure and good carriage, and that her age was not far
removed from that of her young mistress. This made the substitution I
have mentioned feasible, and when I was told that she was seen taking her
hat and bonnet into the bride's room, and, though not expected to leave
till the next morning, had slid away from the house by the basement door
at the same moment her mistress appeared on the front steps, my
suspicions became so confirmed that I asked how this girl looked, in the
hope that you would be able to recognize her, through the description,
as the woman you had seen sitting in Reception-room No. 3. But to my
surprise, Mrs. Fulton had what was better than any description, the
girl's picture. This has simplified matters very much. By it you have
been able to identify the woman who attempted to mislead you in the
reception-room, and I the person who rode here with you from Mr. Fulton's
house. Wasn't she dressed in brown? Didn't you notice a similarity in her
appearance to that of the very lady you were then seeking?"
"I did not observe. Her face was all I saw. She was looking directly at
me as I stepped into the room."
"I see. She had taken off her veil and trusted to your attention being
caught by her strange features,--as it was.
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