"No one knows of his shady doings, dear."
"Well, then, he will be looked upon as a hero. It's just as well he is buried in Marshely churchyard, for some fanatic might propose to bury him in Westminster Abbey."
"You will be congratulated on having such a father."
"No!" cried Cyril violently. "I won't stand that, Bella. We shall go to London next week and get married in a registry office. Miss Ankers can come with you to play propriety."
Bella laughed. "I rather think Dora is so busy nursing poor Mr. Pence back to health that she has no time."
"Why, you don't mean to say that she loves Pence?"
"Yes and no. I won't say what may happen. She pities him for his weakness, and pity, as you know, is akin to love. Besides, only ourselves and Inspector Inglis know of the temptation to which Mr. Pence was submitted."
"Why, Bella, everyone knows he saw the corpse of Huxham and held his tongue."
"Yes, but everyone doesn't know that he took the one hundred pounds which he restored to me. He is looked upon as somewhat weak for not having informed the police of the crime, but on the whole people are sorry for him."
"I shall be sorry, too, if a nice little woman like Miss Ankers marries such a backboneless creature."