"He was not that way when your father was alive. Your father and he were quite friendly."
"I guess that was only because father did lots of work for him and always accepted the squire's price. He is very miserly, you know, outside of the allowance he makes Percy."
"I cannot imagine what brought him here to-night. I fancied the post office matter was past, so far as you were concerned."
"So did I. I'll tell you what keeps it in the squire's mind," went on Ralph, suddenly. "He lost a valuable registered letter that was in the mail. I heard Henry Bott speak of it."
"One that was coming to him?"
"No, one that he had sent out. It was to go in the morning mail. Henry Bott said the squire wouldn't have lost the letter for a small mint of money."
"What did it contain?"
"He said the squire wouldn't say. It was addressed to some party in New York, I believe."
"It is strange the squire wouldn't mention the contents of the letter. The authorities ought to know if they are to trace it."
"So I should think. But Squire Paget said it was strictly private."