“Oh! she is not capable of doing such a thing.”

“Isnt she?  We shall see.”

“I dont know what to think,” said Marian, despondently.  “I used to believe that both you and Ned thought too little of other people; but it seems now that the world is nothing but a morass of wickedness and falsehood.  And Sholto, too!  Who would have believed that he could break out in that coarse way?  Do you remember the day that Fleming, the coachman, lost his temper with Auntie down at the Cottage.  Sholto was exactly like that; not a bit more refined or dignified.”

“Rather less so, because Fleming was in the right.  Let us go to bed.  We can do nothing to-night, but fret, and wish for to-morrow.  Better get to sleep.  Resentment does not keep me awake, I can vouch for that:  I got well broken in to it when I was a child.  I heard Uncle Reginald going to his room some time ago.  I am getting sleepy, too, though I feel the better for the excitement.”

“Very well.  To bed be it,” said Marian.  But she did not sleep at all as well as Nelly.

CHAPTER X

Next morning Mr. Lind rose before his daughter was astir, and went to his club, where he breakfasted.  He then went to the offices in Queen Victoria Street.  Finding the board-room unoccupied, he sat down there, and said to one of the clerks: 

“Go and tell Mr. Conolly that I desire to speak to him, if he is disengaged.  And if anyone wants to come in, say that I am busy here.  I do not wish to be disturbed for half an hour or so.”

“Yes, sir,” said the clerk, departing.  A minute later, he returned, and said:  “Mr. Conly is disengaged; and he says will you be so good as to come to his room, sir.”

“I told you to ask him to come here,” said Mr. Lind.

“Well, thats what he said, sir,” said the clerk, speaking in official Board School English.  “Shloy gow to him and tell him again?”

“No, no:  it does not matter,” said Mr. Lind, and walked out through the office.  The clerk held the door open for him, and carefully closed it when he had passed through.

“Ow, oy sy!” cried the clerk.  “This is fawn, this is.”

“Wots the row?” said another clerk.

“Woy, owld Lind sends me in to Conly to cam in to him into the board-room.  ‘Aw right,’ says Conly, ‘awsk him to cam in eah to me.’  You should ’a seen the owld josser’s feaches wnoy towld im.  ’Oyd zoyred jou to sy e was to cam in eah to me.’  ‘Shloy gow and tell him again?’ I says, as cool as ennything.  ‘Now,’ says he, ‘Oil gow myself.’  Thets wot Aw loike in Conly.  He tikes tham fellers dahn wen they troy it on owver im.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Lind went to Conolly’s room; returned his greeting by a dignified inclination of the head; and accepted, with a cold “Thank you,” the chair offered him.  Conolly, who had received him cordially, checked himself.  There was a pause, during which Mr. Lind lost countenance a little.  Then Conolly sat down, and waited.