"All I could tell him about you. He was something of a high-brow Englishman and used tact, but I reckoned he was keen on finding out what kind of man you were."
"You couldn't tell him much."
"That is so," said Martin, rather dryly. "In fact, I didn't try."
"Oh, well, it's not important," Jim replied. "Perhaps my books roused his curiosity. They were not the books he'd imagine a telegraph linesman would read. But did he tell you much about himself?"
"He did not. An Englishman like that doesn't talk about himself."
Jim agreed carelessly, but was thoughtful afterwards, and when Martin went off with Jake, stopped by the fire and mused. After a time he looked up and saw Carrie sitting in the shadow. Now and then the flickering light touched her face and he thought she studied him.
"I suppose you're thinking about that Englishman?" she said.
"Yes. It's rather strange he asked Martin about me."
"Perhaps he knows your relations."
"It looks like that," Jim agreed.