"I thought you might have gone to bed, father," he said.
"Bed!" ejaculated Mr. Hinchford, in disgust; "what has—what has——"
"Come up-stairs, I wish to speak to you."
Father and son went up-stairs to their room, leaving Mattie at the open door. The cab still remained drawn up there; the cabman stood by the horse's head, stolid as a judge in his manifold capes.
"Are you waiting for anything?" asked Mattie.
"For the gemman, to be sure."
"Going back again?"
"He says so—I spose it's all right," he added dubiously; "you've no back door which he can slip out of?"
"Slip out of!" cried the disgusted Mattie, slamming the front door in his face for his impudent assertion.
Meanwhile Sidney Hinchford was facing his father in the drawing-room.