"Nor I; to me it was a great disappointment. As you have said, he was difficult. He may have felt that my ideas on business matters were different from his, and didn't like it."
"Perhaps if he had lived it would have been different."
"We shall never know what, in that case, might have happened. May I take it that, in the matter of the inquest, you will do as Miss Patterson asks?"
"I will--certainly."
"Thank you. You increase the debt which she is conscious she owes you as her father's right-hand man, and which, whatever the terms of his will may be, she will never forget."
The lad entered to whom he had entrusted the letter.
"Mr. Parmiter has come back with me, sir; he's outside."
"Good; show him in. I think, Mr. Andrews, that, as the inquest is timed for noon, you had better be starting."
The old man went out, and a young one came into the room--a young man, with a student's face and fair hair. Although his cheeks were pale, his appearance was not unprepossessing. Elmore greeted him with outstretched hands. "Clarence, old man, it's very good of you to come right away like this. I hope it's not seriously inconvenienced you."
"Not a bit. Between ourselves, I was sitting in the office twiddling my thumbs and wondering what I should do now I'd finished reading the paper."