"What's on your mind, man?" demanded Cromarty.
"The reason, sir, I've got that badly off the rails with my deductions is just that I had to find some other theory than the story that's going about."
"What story?"
"You've no heard it, sir?"
Ned shook his head.
"I hardly like to repeat it, sir; it's that cruel and untrue. They're saying Sir Malcolm and Miss Farmond had got engaged to be married."
"Well?" said Ned sharply, and he seemed to control his feelings with an effort.
"A secret engagement, like, that Sir Reginald would never have allowed. But there I think they're right, sir. Sir Reginald was unco' taken up with Miss Farmond, but he'd have looked higher for his heir. And so as they couldn't get married while he was alive—neither of them having any money, well, sir, this story says—"
He broke off and neither spoke for an instant.