“I am very glad.” June breathed freely again.
“I thought,” said William sadly, “it would be best not to tell the master until after his dinner. But I fear that whenever he knows it will upset him terribly.”
“Why should it?”
“It’s like this, Miss June—the master is fairly setting his heart upon this picture.”
“Then he’d better unset it,” said June harshly.
Trouble came unmistakably into the expressive face of the picture’s late owner.
“I am afraid it will be quite a blow to him if he doesn’t get this beautiful thing,” he said, gazing affectionately at what he held in his hand.
“And yet he thinks so little of it?”
“Oh no! Not now. This morning after a careful examination he’s changed his mind.”
June was not impressed by this face-about on the part of S. Gedge Antiques. “If you ask me,” she declared scornfully, “he changed his mind some time ago. But he’s a bit too artful to let you know that.”