“I sometimes think you hanker after him yet, Rebecca.”
“Well, between you and him I am not sure that there is much choice,” retorted Mrs. Crambo.
“I can assure you there is,” said Grant. “Silverthorn is the worst fraud I ever came across.”
“I say the same,” chimed in Tom.
“What do you know of him? My wife will be interested to hear,” said Mr. Crambo.
Upon this the two partners gave an account of their personal experience with Silverthorn, and what they had learned of him through Nahum Stockton.
“Paul,” said Mrs. Crambo, “that settles it. You needn’t be jealous of Mr. Silverthorn. I wouldn’t marry him if I were left a widow to-morrow. For the first time I begin to see that I might have done worse. By the way,” resumed Mrs. Crambo, “I have had an application for board from another party.”
“A gentleman?”
“Humph! I can’t say as to that. It’s a man, at any rate.”
“What did you say?” asked Tom, a little uneasy. The presence of another boarder would render the discovery of their secret more likely.