To further plans of his own, he thought it best to try to make the girl look upon him as a friend, and he kindly said:
“My dear, you are very young and perhaps not so well qualified to judge what is for your best interests as one who has upon him the weight of a greater number of years. If I can give you any advice you are at liberty to call upon me for it.”
“I thank you, but I do not believe that I am in need of advice. I have for so long been compelled to depend upon myself that I have grown accustomed to thinking and acting on my own judgment.”
“Very well. I do not wish to press my advice upon you and will say no more. Still, I think that you would be doing yourself a service to show the letter you say you received from Mr. Field.”
“Why so?”
“There are a number of reasons.”
“Name one.”
“Mr. Field having been murdered, the singular circumstance of your appearing here to claim relationship the next morning, may tend to throw suspicion on yourself as having had a part in it or having guilty knowledge of it.”
The girl’s face paled slightly.
In a voice that was a trifle unsteady, she said: