"No, thank you."
"Let us meet at Mother's this afternoon. We must warn the family as far as possible not to drop the least hint before Mamma; we must keep it from her. The shock would kill her...."
And Harold thought to himself that, if only she were dead, then the Thing would be past; but they had no right to murder her.
When Steyn opened the door, he ran against Ina in the passage. She had been at the window and seen him come; and, curious to know what he wanted to talk about with her father, she had crept upstairs and listened casually.
"Good-morning, Steyn," she said: she did not call him uncle because of the very slight difference between their ages. "Has anything happened?"
She knew before she asked.
"Old Mr. Takma is dead."
"Ina," said her father, "be sure not to say a word to Grandmamma. We want to keep it from her. It is such a blow for the old lady that it might be the death of her...."
"Yes," said Ina, "we won't say anything to Grandmamma. Mr. Takma was well off, wasn't he? I suppose Elly will get everything?..."
"I don't know," said Steyn. "Probably."