“Of course I’m sure, ma’am.”
And then Miss Toogood broke in: “I wonder what she’s come to say! I wonder whether she poisoned Mrs. Garlett, and whether she’s come to confess it to Father? Jimmy Danetree says that they ought to have called her as a witness this morning——”
“I forbid you to discuss Harry Garlett’s affair with young men,” interposed her father sharply.
He was on his way to the door, and though he too felt excited, he thought he knew what Jean Bower had come to tell him. Indeed he was sure that she had come to say that her engagement was at an end, and to ask him to make that fact known as widely as possible.
He walked into his study and held out his hand.
“Well, Miss Bower? I’m glad that you’ve come here to-night, instead of to my office to-morrow morning. Now that’s the very first time I’ve ever said that to any client of mine—and I feel quite sure I shall never say it again! Sit down, my dear young lady; I think I know the business that has brought you,” and his voice became very kindly.
“I don’t think you can know why I have come,” she said in a low voice.
“I think I do, for I had a talk with Mr. Garlett just before we went into the police court this morning. He told me he’d written you a letter which he was going to ask your uncle to deliver in case he was committed for trial. He did not show me the letter, but he told me what was in it.”
“I’ve come to ask you a very important question,” said Jean in a firm tone. She fixed her eyes on the shrewd face of the man standing before her.
“I ask you—and I want you to answer as if you were on oath, Mr. Toogood—will it do Harry good, or will it do him harm, if I break my engagement now?”