Mr Dumville had been observing Mr Holland with undisguised amazement. Now he clothed his thoughts with speech.
'Holland, what on earth's the matter with you? May, what does all this mean?'
Miss Bewicke explained; that is, she told as much as she thought it necessary and advisable that Mr Dumville should know in the fewest words at her command. Mr Dumville professed himself to be, what he plainly was, amazed. The tale was very far from being complete in all its details, or he would probably have been yet more surprised, in a direction, as things were, which he little suspected.
'And do you mean that that man Burton is still upon these premises?'
'He was in my bedroom, when I turned the key, with his two friends.' Mr Dumville strode forward. She caught him by the arm. 'What are you going to do?'
'Slaughter him!'
'I would rather you did not do that. It would make such a mess upon the floor.'
'Do you think that scoundrel's behaviour is a thing to laugh at? I'll show you and him, too, where the laughter comes in.'
'My dear Bryan, I know very well that there's nothing laughable about Mr Horace Burton or his proceedings. He is--oh, he's all sorts of things. I'd rather not tell you all the things I think he is.'
'I know.'