“You must have been disappointed.”
“I'll admit it,” he replied. “I was; I'd come to think pretty well of Monty although he was a loose fish and I'd a sort of fancy for seeing his daughter.”
She took up a screen as though to shield the fire from her face. Would the man's eyes never cease questioning her—could it be that he suspected? Surely that was impossible!
“Why have you never tried to find her before?” she asked.
“That's a natural question enough,” he admitted. “Well, first, I only came across a letter Monty wrote with the address of those lawyers a few days ago, and, secondly, the Bekwando Mine and Land Company has only just boomed, and you see that made me feel that I'd like to give a lift up to any one belonging to poor old Monty I could find. I've a mind to go on with the thing myself and find out somehow who this young lady is!”
“Who were the lawyers?”
“Cuthbert and Cuthbert.”
“They are most respectable people,” she said. “I know Mr. Cuthbert and their standing is very high. If Mr. Cuthbert told you that the young lady wished to remain unknown to you, I am quite sure that you may believe him.”
“That's all right,” Trent said, “but here's what puzzles me. The girl may be small enough and mean enough to decline to have anything to say to me because her father was a bad lot, and she doesn't want to be reminded of him, but for that very reason can you imagine her virtually refusing a large sum of money? I told old Cuthbert all about it. There was 10,000 pounds worth of shares waiting for her and no need for any fuss. Can you understand that?”
“It seems very odd,” she said. “Perhaps the girl objects to being given money. It is a large sum to take as a present from a stranger.”