So you will please to be her treasurer and administrator for the time,
as for a patient that is incapable to look after her own affairs."

This was spoke, as it struck Dr. Gray, in rather a haughty and
supercilious manner. The words intimated nothing in themselves, more
than the same desire of preserving incognito, which might be gathered
from all the rest of the stranger's conduct; but the manner seemed to
say, "I am not a person to be questioned by any one--what I say must be
received without comment, how little soever you may believe or
understand it." It strengthened Gray in his opinion, that he had before
him a case either of seduction, or of private marriage, betwixt persons
of the very highest rank; and the whole bearing, both of the lady and
the gentleman, confirmed his suspicions. It was not in his nature to be
troublesome or inquisitive, but he could not fail to see that the lady
wore no marriage-ring; and her deep sorrow, and perpetual tremor, seemed
to indicate an unhappy creature, who had lost the protection of parents,
without acquiring a legitimate right to that of a husband. He was
therefore somewhat anxious when Mr. Middlemas, after a private
conference of some length with the lady, bade him farewell. It is true,
he assured him of his return within ten days, being the very shortest
space which Gray could be prevailed upon to assign for any prospect of
the lady being moved with safety.

"I trust in Heaven that he will return," said Gray to himself, "but there
is too much mystery about all this, for the matter being a plain and
well-meaning transaction. If he intends to treat this poor thing, as many
a poor girl has been used before, I hope that my house will not be the
scene in which he chooses to desert her. The leaving the money has
somewhat a suspicious aspect, and looks as if my friend were in the act of
making some compromise with his conscience. Well--I must hope the best.