"I guess I've shut the young fool up," he muttered to himself. "He might have placed me in a decided fix if he had told all he knew."
Of course Richard reported the interview to Frank. Indeed the two were now deep in each other's confidence, and no such thought as keeping the matter to himself would have crossed Richard's mind.
"Perhaps it will teach him a lesson," said Frank. "But I doubt it.
Better keep an eye on him."
Later in the day Mr. Mann came up to the stock-room, looking very black. He asked a number of questions about some books that had been sent to Troy four days before. "The party that received them says there were five or six sets of Irving's works badly damaged. Do you know anything about it?"
"No, sir," replied Frank promptly. "Those we packed up were all in first-class order."
"Well, there was some damaged stock here."
"Yes, sir, quite a good deal that was soaked by that water-pipe bursting three weeks ago. But Mr. Williams ordered us to sort it out, and it was all sent to the second-hand dealer's last week."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive, sir. Dare, here, helped me ship it off."
Mr. Mann turned to Richard.