“There, goodness me, Miss Chain, don’t carry on in that way; let us go out and look at the flowers. Remember that I shall soon have to leave you for my new situation in the country, but I hope that you will come and see me in Sussex. Tom says it is at a fine park.”
“I wish I could go too, Lucy.”
“Who knows? The lady might want a companion some day. Come along, you’ll soon be better.”
“Not if I am worried again in this way by a would-be gentleman, who has now seen me working for my daily bread through his dishonesty. But here comes my mother. I am so glad, Lucy, that she went out before he appeared. Don’t say anything about it to her at present.”
“Never fear, Miss Chain, for I begin to see what you mean, though I didn’t at first, that you may have really seen that man who tricked you and your mother at Boulogne in the shameful way you told me about.”
“Hush! Let us drop the subject for to-day.”
CHAPTER II
AN ACCIDENT
Mr Goodall and Tom Trigger made their way down to a sheltered shed near the cricket ground of the Crystal Palace, with the air-ship, and they proceeded to inflate it through a small gas-pipe, which was three-quarters of an inch in diameter. This process occupied an hour, so that they had ample time to talk about Miss Chain’s fright and fit.
“What is your opinion of what happened just now in the workroom?” asked Mr Goodall.
“Hardly know, sir, I’m sure. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and where there’s shadow there’s substance.”