“It is troubling me amazingly,” went on Isaac.
This seemed to arouse the old clerk, and he looked up, speaking curtly.
“Why should it trouble you? You didn’t take them, I suppose?”
“No, I didn’t,” said Isaac.
“Very well, then. The loss won’t fall upon you. There’s no need for your troubling.”
Isaac was silent. In truth, he was unable to give any reason for the “troubling,” except on general grounds: he could not say that a doubt was haunting his mind as to the good faith of Mr. George Godolphin.
“It is a loss which I suppose Mr. George will have to make good, as they were in his custody,” he resumed. “My sister won’t like it, I fear.”
The observation recalled Mr. Hurde’s memory to the fact that Mrs. George Godolphin was the sister of Isaac Hastings. It afforded a sufficient excuse for the remarks in the mind of the clerk, and somewhat pacified him.
“It is to be hoped they’ll be found,” said he. “I don’t see how they could have gone.”
“Nor I,” returned Isaac. “The worst is, if they have gone——”