"Nothing to do with the small property."
"Nothing in life."
"Then, Captain Bood-dle, what may it have to do with?"
Hereupon Doodles took a chair, not having been invited to go through that ceremony. According to the theory created in her mind at the instant, this man was not at all like an English captain. Captain is an unfortunate title, somewhat equivalent to the foreign count,—unfortunate in this respect, that it is easily adopted by many whose claims to it are very slight. Archie Clavering, with his polished leather boots, had looked like a captain,—had come up to her idea of a captain,—but this man! The more she regarded him, the stronger in her mind became the idea of the housebreaker.
"My business, ma'am, is of a very delicate nature,—of a nature very delicate indeed. But I think that you and I, who understand the world, may soon come to understand each other."
"Oh, you understand the world. Very well, sir. Go on."
"Now, ma'am, money is money, you know."
"And a goose is a goose; but what of that?"
"Yes; a goose is a goose, and some people are not geese. Nobody, ma'am, would think of calling you a goose."
"I hope not. It would be so uncivil, even an Englishman would not say it. Will you go on?"