“Yes, but—”
“Come away, Mr. Cameron,” cried Mrs. Cochrane from the door of the new house. “Come away in and look at the result of our bee.”
“This beats me,” said Cameron, obeying the invitation, “but, say, Dickson, it is mighty good of all these men. I have no claim—”
“Claim?” said Mr. Cochrane. “It might have been any of us. We must stand together in this country, and especially these days, eh, Inspector? Things are gettin' serious.”
The Inspector nodded his head gravely.
“Yes,” he said. “But, Mr. Cochrane,” he added in a low voice, “it is very necessary that as little as possible should be said about these things just now. No occasion for any excitement or fuss. The quieter things are kept the better.”
“All right, Inspector, I understand, but—”
“What do you think of your new house, Mr. Cameron?” cried Mrs. Cochrane. “Come in. Now what do you think of this for three days' work?”
“Oh, Allan, I have been all through it and it's perfectly wonderful,” said his wife.
“Oh nothing very wonderful, Mrs. Cameron,” said Cochrane, “but it will do for a while.”