John was astonished at this statement.
"Mr. Jarney, I should have inquired," he said; "but I felt it out of place for me to be so familiar with your family matters."
"Why so?" he asked, with sharpness.
"I feared you might think me presumptuous," replied John, timidly.
"You presumptuous? I am not snobbish, Mr. Winthrope," he returned.
"Well, I felt that I would be keeping my place, by keeping silent," said John.
"I never mentioned the matter, Mr. Winthrope, because I wanted to see just how long you would be silent," said Mr. Jarney. "And don't you care to know?"
"Why, Mr. Jarney, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to know that Miss Jarney is improving."
"She is not," he said, despondently.
"Is she serious?" asked John.