“It will not be necessary. We will take a carriage from here.”
“As you please. One thing more. Pardon me if I am wrong, for I know nothing of your circumstances; you may require a sum of money to procure proper mourning.”
“It is needless,” said Robert, briefly. “We are sufficiently provided.”
“Proud as ever!” muttered Lewis, to himself. “We’ll see how long that continues. If I am not greatly mistaken, he will be glad enough to avail himself of my offers before long.”
Meanwhile, Helen had reached home, and was wondering what had detained her father so long. He had gone out with Mr. Sharp, not mentioning where he was going.
She began to be afraid that, in one of his not unusual fits of abstraction, he had met with some accident, perhaps been run over by some passing vehicle, while crossing the street.
“Where can he be?” she was asking, anxiously, for the tenth time at least, when, to her great joy, she at length heard his familiar step upon the stairs.
She hastened to the door, exclaiming, “Why, papa, why have you been gone so long?”
She looked into his face, and suddenly stopped short. She saw, by his expression, that something had happened.
“What is the matter, papa?” she asked, apprehensively.