"They do say at Swanland's," observed Mr. Lang, coughing apologetically, "that there is a great talk of Mr. Rupert going into business with Mr. Brett. They do say there Mr. Rupert knows all Mr. Mortomley's processes; and if so be as how such is the case, Mr. Brett and he will make a good thing of it."
Dolly sat silent for a minute; then she asked,
"Did Mr. Rupert know anything of the business when we were at Homewood, Lang?"
"No, that I will take my oath he did not," was the prompt reply.
"Then by what means could he have learned anything of it since?"
"That is best known to himself, ma'am. If he found anything at Homewood, and kept it—"
"He could not, Lang. My husband was always most careful about his papers."
"Or if he has been able to pump Mr. Mortomley since you left Homewood."
"That is not likely either," said Dolly, and yet as she spoke she remembered that not five minutes before Susan came to tell her Lang was below, her husband had thrust a piece of paper over to Rupert, saying, "There is something out of which money might be made, though I shall never make it," and like a simpleton she had attached little importance to the utterance, until Lang's words revealed its significance to her.