Nell deserves credit for not telling Greybrooke who the friend was, for that was a secret. But there was reason to believe that she had already divulged it to twelve persons (all in the strictest confidence). When the captain returned she was explaining all about it by letter to Richard Abinger, Esq. Possibly that was why Greybrooke thought she was not nearly so nice to him now as she had been an hour before.
Will was unusually quiet when he and Greybrooke said adieu to the whole family of Merediths. He was burning to know where the captain had been, and also what Nell called him back to say in such a low tone. What she said was—
'Don't say anything about going to the Mirror office, Mr. Greybrooke, to Miss Abinger.'
The captain turned round to lift his hat, and at the same time expressed involuntarily a wish that Nell could see him punishing loose bowling.
Mrs. Meredith beamed to him.
'There is something very nice,' she said to Nell, 'about a polite young man.'
'Yes,' murmured her daughter, 'and even if he isn't polite.'