"I understood that Miss Holland's brother had written to you about it," I said brazenly.
"Oh! he is really her brother, is he?" said he, looking at me very knowingly.
"Certainly."
"He being Burnett and she Holland, eh?"
"You have heard of half-brothers, haven't you?" I inquired with a condescending smile.
"Oh, I have heard of them," winked Mr Craigie as good-humouredly as ever; "only I never happened to have heard before of half-sisters running away from a situation they'd taken without a word of warning, just whenever their half-brothers whistled."
"Did Mr Burnett whistle?" I inquired, with (I hope) an air of calm and slightly superior amusement.
"Some one sent her a wire, and I presume it was Mr Burnett," said he. "By Jingo!"
He stopped suddenly with an air as nearly approaching excitement as was conceivable in such a gentleman.
"What's the matter?" I asked a trifle anxiously.