Hale raised his eyebrows and looked more gentlemanly than ever; also a trifle dangerous. "You asked him to my house?"
"Yes, because I want to hear all about the cross. Oh, I know well that you do not wish to see Mr. Jabez, Walter, but----"
"You call me Walter," said Hale, and suddenly flushed.
"A slip of the tongue," retorted Mrs. Walker, also growing red. "The time is long past when I could call you so. You are Mr. Hale to me."
"Then why not call me so?" demanded the man coolly.
"I will do so in future," said Mrs. Walker, and bit her lip in silent rage at having given him an opportunity of scoring. "But I know that Mr. Jabez is too well acquainted with the seamy side of your life for you to care about meeting him."
Hale shrugged his shoulders. "He was my family lawyer as he is yours," he answered in icy tones, "and one confesses much to one's lawyer, which one would hesitate to say to others. I can depend upon the secrecy of Jabez as to my misfortunes."
"Oh!" Mrs. Walker laughed scornfully, "you call them by that name."
"It suits them best. As to Jabez, I have no hesitation in meeting him. But I prefer to choose my own visitors."
"You certainly would not choose Mr. Jabez," said the elder woman insultingly. "However, I have taken advantage of your easy-going nature"--she was very sarcastic--"to invite Mr. Jabez to meet me here, so that we may discuss the whereabouts of the cross."