‘Not the more for Mrs. Stebbing’s saying so.’
‘But you will find out and refute her. There must be people who know.’
‘My dear, you had better not try to rake up such things. You know that the man bore an excellent character for many years in the army, and you had better be satisfied with that,’ said Miss Jane for once in her life, as if to provoke Gillian, not on the side of curiosity.
‘Then you do believe it!’ went on Gillian, feeling much injured for her hero’s sake, and wearing what looked like a pertinacious pout.
‘Truth compels me to say, Gillian, that the sons of men, even in a small way of business, are not apt to run away and enlist without some reason.’
‘And I am quite sure it was all that horrid old White’s fault.’
‘You had better content yourself with that belief.’
Gillian felt greatly affronted, but Fergus, who thought all this very tiresome, broke in, after a third attempt—
‘Aunt Jane, if the pulley of that crane—’
And all the way home they discussed machinery, and Gillian’s heart swelled.