Jervy recovered his insinuating tones, with some difficulty. “My dear girl, I love you! How can I be angry with you? You’ve set me thinking—and it bothers me a little, that’s all. Do you happen to know if Mrs. Farnaby has got money of her own?”
Phoebe answered this time. “I’ve heard Miss Regina say that Mrs. Farnaby’s father was a rich man,” she said.
“What was his name?”
“Ronald.”
“Do you know when he died?”
“No.”
Jervy fell into thought again, biting his nails in great perplexity. After a moment or two, an idea came to him. “The tombstone will tell me!” he exclaimed, speaking to himself. He turned to Phoebe, before she could express her surprise, and asked if she knew where Mr. Ronald was buried.
“Yes,” said Phoebe, “I’ve heard that. In Highgate cemetery. But why do you want to know?”
Jervy looked at his watch. “It’s getting late,” he said; “I’ll see you safe home.”
“But I want to know—”