"Is he engaged to her?"
"Yes."
"Then, of course, he thinks her innocent."
"I think her innocent myself."
"Do you think Tom is guilty?"
At this direct question Adam Adams winced. He saw before him a disagreeable duty which must be performed.
"I see I must give you the facts, Letty. But I will do so on one condition only, and that is, that you keep what I have to say to yourself—considering them as office secrets."
"Very well, Uncle Adam, I'll promise," she answered, with a pale face upturned to him. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. Then he locked the office door, sat down in an armchair and let her sit on his lap, just as she had done since childhood.
His recital took the best part of an hour, and he gave all the particulars of his interview with Cephas Carboy and with Doctor Calkey, and told of the finding of the bit of paper with the address of the drug firm on it, and of the strange Chinese poison. At the mention of the fatal drug she drew a sharp breath.
"I—I—" she began, and stopped short.