“He came to ask me to keep silence, to shield Faunce. He’s determined never to tell the true story.”
She did not say anything for a while. When she spoke, it was in an awed tone.
“How noble of him!”
Her father nodded, his hand on the pillar at the foot of the banisters, as he looked up at her.
“He had seen Faunce and arranged for silence. He wants to let the whole thing blow over; he’s afraid of injuring you with the scandal.”
She seemed to shrink a little, and she was no longer looking steadily at him.
“Is that all, papa?”
“No, not all. You know they’ve wanted to take the command of the new expedition from Faunce and give it to Overton?”
“Yes, I suppose they will.”
“They won’t, for Overton has refused to accept it. He has asked them to let Faunce keep it.”