"Oh, you've heard that talk, have you?"
"What talk?" asked Miss Belinda cautiously.
"About his being the moving spirit of Barry & Co. That always irritates Henry and me beyond everything. As if my father were invertebrate, and couldn't think for himself."
"Well, Linda believes it. That is, she believes Mr. King had an abnormal influence over your father. In fact, she blames Mr. King for the disaster."
"She's in an abnormal state herself. That's what's the matter. I know her grief at losing Father is profound, and no doubt the money loss means more to her than it does to me. Henry and I have talked it over, and we feel it will be just as well for Harry if he doesn't have so much money to look forward to as we expected. With Linda it's different. It does deprive her of much that perhaps she expected to do. We don't know what her thoughts have been all these days she has lain there so quiet. She thinks Bertram is to blame for taking on that irrigation business?"
"To blame for everything. She—she used some pretty strong language this morning."
"Oh, but that's Linda," responded Harriet quickly. "She's always extreme."
"Do you think Mr. King is in love with her?" asked Miss Barry bluntly.
Her niece looked up curiously. "Why? Do you?"
Miss Belinda made a protesting gesture with one stockinged hand.