“Number 7,” said the stranger; and sat down heavily upon the seat. He leant both hands on his stick and rested his chin upon them, as though thankful for the support; and Mollie stood before him staring fixedly at his face.
Aquiline features, sharpened by suffering into yet finer lines, closely-set lips drooping out into lines of fretful impatience, sunken eyes beneath overhanging brows. She studied them one by one, until, struck by her silence, the old man looked up in surprise.
“Number 7, I said. If you live in the neighbourhood, you may know the house, and possibly its inmates?”
“Yes, I know them all; they are nice people and very kind to me. I’ve known them quite a number of years.”
“Mr and Mrs Connor have a large family, I believe—a number of young children.”
“Oh, dozens!” replied Mollie easily. She was enjoying herself intensely, but trying to preserve an appearance of innocent calm. “What an adventure,” she was saying to herself—“oh, what an adventure. What fun to tell it all to Ruth and the girls! I must remember every word, so as to repeat it in style!” Aloud, she added carelessly, “There are two girls, and lots of little boys. It seems as if there were boys, boys everywhere, wherever you turn all over the house; but they are ubiquitous creatures, so perhaps there are not quite so many as it seems. They are handsome little fellows, and I believe clever too. Mrs Connor is a very pretty woman, and always kind and gentle. Everybody likes her. Mr Connor is nice too. I don’t think he is at all strong, and he has to work very hard for that big family.”
“Indeed!” The strange old man did not display the slightest sign of sympathy for Mr Connor’s anxieties. He relaxed his hold of the stick, and sank wearily against the back of the seat. “There are two step-daughters, I believe—the two Miss Farrells?”
“Ah!” exclaimed Mollie deeply. It was quite a tragic note, as who should say, “Now we are beginning to talk! Now, at last, we reach the real point of the discussion! Just that deep ‘Ah,’ and no more, until perforce another question must be asked.
“You know the Miss Farrells also?”
“I do!”