Mark Inglefield gave the girl a smile of encouragement and approval. The description she had given could not possibly apply to him. Every fresh danger that threatened vanished almost as soon as it appeared.
"There seems to be nothing more to stop for, sir," he said to Mr. Manners; "with respect to this man's daughter, we have learned all that we are likely to hear. It occurs to me that you might prefer to carry out the second portion of your visit to this neighborhood alone."
"You refer to my son," said Mr. Manners.
"Yes; and I might be an encumbrance. Whether justly or not--out of consideration for you I will not enter into that question--your son and his wife would not look upon me with favor if they were to see me suddenly; and the circumstance of my being in your company might be misconstrued. I am willing, sir, that the past should be buried; your simple wish that your son and I should become friends again is sufficient for me. I will obey you, but a meeting between us should be led up to; it will be more agreeable to both of us. Do you not think so?"
"You are doubtless right, Inglefield," said Mr. Manners. "I appreciate your delicate thoughtfulness."
"Thank you, sir. There is another reason why I should leave you now. The story that girl has told may be true or false. You must not mind my expressing suspicion of everything in connection with Mr. Parkinson's daughter. It is even possible that she and that girl may be in collusion for some purpose of their own, and that they have concocted what we have heard. I have cleared myself, I hope."
"It would be unjust to deny it," said Mr. Manners.
"But I shall not allow the matter to end here," said Mark Inglefield, warmly. "I shall put it at once in the hands of a detective, who will, I dare say, be able to ascertain how far we have been imposed upon. The sooner the inquiry is opened up the stronger will be our chances of arriving at the truth. Do you approve of what I propose?"
"It is the right course," said Mr. Manners. "I was about to propose it myself."
"I will go then at once. In simple justice to me, sir, if you see Mr. Hollingworth, you should tell him how cruelly I have been suspected."