- come and see me then!" he said, opening the shop door
determinedly, and waiting for these inconvenient visitors to pass out.
This task accomplished, the old man had to deal with one more delicate. He had to remove from the minds of William and Sir Arthur Babraham all suspicion in regard to himself. He came to them with his most sanctimonious air: "I can't tell you, sir," he assured Sir Arthur, "what a relief it is to know that my niece is in good hands. But I am afraid she is a very wicked girl." Then he turned abruptly to William, and said in a low tone that he wished to have a private conversation with Sir Arthur.
For once, however, the young man shewed less than his usual docility. He was most eager to learn all that had happened to June, and to gain a clue, if possible, to her strange conduct; besides the painful change in his master now filled him with distrust.
The shrewd judge of the world and its ways upon whom the duty had fallen of holding the balance true was quick to note the reluctance of the younger man; and even if the nature of the case would compel him in the end to take the word of the proprietor against that of the servant, he was influenced already, in spite of himself, by that open simplicity which had had such an effect upon his daughter.
"Is there anything, Mr. Gedge, we have to say to one another, which this young man may not hear?" said Sir Arthur quietly, and then, as the old dealer did not immediately reply, he added coolly, "I think not." Turning to William he said: "Please stay with us. There are one or two questions I have to put which I hope you will be good enough to answer."
