As we had few
acquaintances in common, the fact of our extraor-
dinary likeness was little known. I come now to the
matter of your inquiry.
One day soon after we had come to this city I was
walking down Market Street late in the afternoon,
when I was accosted by a well-dressed man of mid-
dle age, who after greeting me cordially said: 'Ste-
vens, I know, of course, that you do not go out
much, but I have told my wife about you, and she
would be glad to see you at the house. I have a no-
tion, too, that my girls are worth knowing. Suppose
you come out to-morrow at six and dine with us, en
famille; and then if the ladies can't amuse you after-
ward I'll stand in with a few games of billiards.'
This was said with so bright a smile and so en-
gaging a manner that I had not the heart to refuse,
and although I had never seen the man in my life
I promptly replied: 'You are very good, sir, and it
will give me great pleasure to accept the invitation.
Please present my compliments to Mrs. Margovan
and ask her to expect me.'
With a shake of the hand and a pleasant parting
word the man passed on. That he had mistaken me
for my brother was plain enough. That was an error
to which I was accustomed and which it was not my
habit to rectify unless the matter seemed important.
But how had I known that this man's name was
Margovan? It certainly is not a name that one would
apply to a man at random, with a probability that it
would be right.
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