As Mr. Hunter prowled and sniffed through these elegant sentences, he discovered nothing of a suspicious nature. On the contrary, Mr. George Drake appeared to him a very obvious gentleman indeed. He wrote to Percy, requesting another interview, and when the tomato merchant arrived Mr. Hunter spread George's letter before him and asked him what he thought about it.
"Nothing until I've heard your opinion," replied the cautious Percy.
"You have the advantage of knowing Mr. Drake."
"It's no advantage," declared Percy.
"What sort of a man is he?" asked Mr. Hunter.
"As this is a privileged communication, he's the most useless, good-for-nothing chap in the country," replied Percy; and he went on to narrate the tragical history of his cousin's deception and indolence.
"Then he is, in your opinion, unscrupulous?"
"That's right. If he wants Miss Yard to buy the furniture, it's because he hopes to benefit by it."
"Naturally," said the lawyer. "There's nothing unscrupulous in that. Under the will of Mrs. Drake he becomes possessed of a certain amount of property; and, being a poor man, he is anxious to convert this property, or a portion of it, into cash. There is apparently no opening for fraud but, should one exist, you may be quite sure I shall discover it in the course of negotiations."
"What do you advise?" asked Percy.