"I don't," reiterated Dudley.
"No girl in the case?" suggested Manton significantly.
"Girl!" He laughed uneasily. Could Manton be in the joke? "No," he answered, "I can safely say that there is not," the figure of the old nurse clearly in his mind.
"Come, now, Dudley," said Manton; "perhaps I know more about your affairs than you think I do. She was frightfully cut up this morning, and I think your letter did it."
"Cut up, was she? Ha! ha! Cut up! She appeared to be in one pretty substantial piece just now, notwithstanding."
"Look here, Dudley; get off that horse and come over to the farm for supper. There's something wrong. I want to have a talk with you. Now, there has been some misunderstanding, hasn't there?"
"Well, I confess I was rather taken in."
"Taken in! Nonsense! Do you imagine she would take you in?"
"It struck me that she might, boots and all," replied Dudley, with a sad grin.
"Do talk sense, Dudley. It's a pity that this should have occurred."