Page:Hilda Wade (1900).pdf/83

Don't explain like the conjurers, but tell me how you guessed it.'

She shut her eyes and seemed to turn her glance inward. 'About three years ago,' she began slowly, like one who reconstructs with an effort a half-forgotten scene, 'I saw a notice in the Times—Births, Deaths, and Marriages—"On the 27th of October"—was it the 27th?' The keen brown eyes opened again for a second and flashed inquiry into mine.

'Quite right,' I answered, nodding.

'I thought so. "On the 27th of October, at Bryumor, Bournemouth, Emily Olwen Josephine, widow of the late Thomas Cumberledge, sometime colonel of the 7th Bengal Regiment of Foot, and daughter of Iolo Gwyn Ford, Esq., J.P., of Hendre Coed, near Bangor." Am I correct?' She lifted her dark eyelashes once more and flooded me.

'You are quite correct,' I answered, surprised. 'And that is really all that you knew of my mother?'

'Absolutely all. The moment 1 saw your card, 'I thought to myself, in a breath, "Ford, Cumberledge; what do I know of those two names? 1 have some link between them. Ah, yes: found! Mrs. Cumberledge, wife of Colonel Thomas Cumberledge, of the 7th Bengals, was a Miss Ford, daughter of a Mr. Ford, of Bangor." That came to me like a lightning-gleam. Then I said to myself again, "Dr. Hubert Ford Cumberledge must be their son." So there you see you have "the train of reasoning." Women can reason—sometimes. I had to think twice, though, before I could recall the exact words of the Times notice.'

'And can you do the same with every one?'

'Every one! Oh, come, now: that is expecting too much! I have not read, marked, learned, and inwardly digested every one's family announcements. I don't pretend