"I'm sure she couldn't, Sir," answered Susan.
" Then it would be useless for me to question her about it?"
"Quite useless, Sir," returned she.
"Well," said Mr. Simpson, nodding his head and smiling, "of course if any body has lost any money it will be repaid. How long have you lived here?"
"About nine months, Sir," said she.
"You appear to me a sensible, good-hearted girl," said he; "my name is John Simpson, and I'm a wine merchant, in Mark Lane."
"Are you, Sir?" said Susan, thrown off her guard, for she recognised immediately who she was speaking to.
"Yes," returned he. "Why are you surprised at that?"
"I thought I'd heard the name before, that's all, Sir," replied she; for she apprehended that the acknowledgment of who she was would not recommend her to the favour of her new acquaintance. "Then you don't belong to the post-office, Sir?"
"No," returned Mr. Simpson. "What, you thought I did?"
"I didn't know but you might, Sir," answered she, casting down her eyes and blushing.
