“I rather like that Englishman,” declared the stranger. “Acton apparently gets on with him, too. He seems to have been here some time. In fact, while it’s nobody else’s business, I’ve been inclined to wonder what Miss Hamilton thinks of him.”
Nasmyth made no reply, but the observation slightly troubled him. A little later Acton crossed the hall.
“If you can give us a few minutes, your uncle and I have something to put before you,” he said. “I’ll go along with you to my room.”
CHAPTER XXV
NASMYTH DECIDES
A shaded lamp stood on the table of Acton’s room, and, as Nasmyth entered, he saw Wisbech, whom he had not met since his arrival, sitting just inside the light of it in a lounge-chair. He strode forward and shook hands with his uncle.
“Until I got your letter I almost fancied you were in Japan,” he said.
Wisbech smiled at him. “I shall probably start very shortly. In fact, I never expected to stay here half so long as I have done, but I found a good deal to interest me in this country, and it’s twenty years since I have been away from business for more than a week or two. The works were mine until very recently, but there are times now when I’m not altogether sorry I’m merely a director of the company.”