“Thank you, Mr Hallett, I hope so. I’m sure I always placed confidence in yours. I am proud to say, Miss Hallett, that if your brother promised me a slip by a certain time, my mind was always easy, for I knew it would be done.”
“Oh, nonsense, nonsense,” said Hallett, smiling. “Look here, Mr Rowle, I feel that you will not betray my confidence, and I ask you as a favour to keep private what you see here to-night.”
“What I see here?” said Mr Jabez, looking around with an assumed look of puzzle, while I felt the colour coming in my face as I thought of the part I was playing.
“I mean what I am about to show you, Mr Rowle,” said Hallett, smiling.
“Trust me? Oh yes, of course, yes—of course,” said the old man warmly; “here is my hand.”
“Thank you,” said Hallett, taking it. “Linny, my dear, you will not mind being left alone?”
“Oh no,” she said, smiling; and lighting another lamp, Hallett led the way up to the attic, Mr Jabez finding an opportunity to give me a solemn wink before we stood by Hallett’s bench.
“I have spent so much thought and labour over this model,” said Hallett, “that, you must not be surprised at the jealousy with which I watch it.”
“Oh no,” said Mr Jabez, who proceeded, snuff-box in hand, to examine carefully every point in the invention.
“Well,” said Hallett, at last, “do you think it will answer?”