It was Captain Hunniwell and a moment later he entered the little sitting-room. When he saw who his friend's companions were he seemed greatly surprised.
"Why, Mrs. Armstrong!" he exclaimed. "Are you here? Now that's a funny thing. The last time I saw Jed I warned him I was goin' to send you here to look at this house. And you came without bein' sent, after all; eh?"
Jed stared at him. Before the lady could reply he spoke. "What?" he cried. "Was she—Sam Hunniwell, was it HER you was goin' to send to see about hirin' this house?"
"Sure it was. Why not?"
Jed pointed toward the door. "Then—then who," he demanded, "sent those Powlesses here?"
"No one that I know of. And anyhow they don't want to rent any houses. They've bought land over at Harnissport and they're goin' to build a house of their own there."
"They are? They are? Then—then WHAT did that woman say I'd got to show her the inside of this house for?"
"I don't know. Did she? Oh, I tell you what she was after, probably. Some one had told her about your old furniture and things, Jed. She's the greatest antique hunter on earth, so they tell me. That's what she was after—antiques."
Jed, having paused until this had sunk in, groaned.
"Lord!" he said, again. "And I went and—"