'He only stated that Mr. Hood had been perfectly regular and satisfactory at his work.'
'Then in truth it is a mystery?'
'Mr. Baxendale thinks that there had been a long struggle with poverty, quite enough to account for the end.'
Wilfrid sat in gloomy silence. He was picturing what Emily must have endured, and reproaching himself for not having claimed a right to her entire confidence, when it was in his power to make that hard path smooth, and to avert this fearful misery. Looking up at length, he met the girl's eyes.
'I need not explain myself to you, Beatrice,' he said, finding at last a natural tone, and calling her by her Christian name because he had much need of friendly sympathy. 'You appear to know why I have come.'
She answered rather hurriedly.
'I should not have known but for something that Mrs. Baxendale told me. Mr. Athel wrote a short time ago to ask for information about them—about the Hoods.'
'He wrote?'
Wilfrid heard it with a little surprise, but without concern.
'Do you know whether Mrs. Hood is alone—with her?' he went on to ask.