“This girl is a tremendous fool,” growled the master inwardly.
An awkward pause ensued. Finally, Clytie loquitur:—
“M’liss has been missing since the fire!”
“Missing?” echoed the master in his natural tone.
Clytie bit her lip with vexation. “Yes, she’s always running away. She’ll be back again. But you look interested. Do you know,” she continued with exceeding archness, “I sometimes think, Mr. Gray, if M’liss were a little older”—
“Well?”
“Well, putting this and that together, you know!”
“Well?”
“People will talk, you know,” continued Clytie, with that excessive fondness weak people exhibit in enveloping in mystery the commonest affairs of life.
“People are d——d fools!” roared the master.