“I came in here yesterday,” he said hastily. “It all happened because the ledger was turned back. I glanced at it, as one will, and standing out from the page was ‘Auckland, N. Z.’ It was as if written in different colour to me. I followed the line back to the name—and tried to see you yesterday afternoon and last night. You didn’t come in——”
“You come from Auckland?” Bellair asked.
“Yes——”
“How long?”
“It’s more than a year.... Small thing to meet a stranger on, but it was all I had. Auckland is so far and so different—that when I saw it—it seemed there must be a chance——”
“Of course. I know how it is,” said Bellair. “Do you want to get back?”
“That isn’t it, exactly, though I haven’t anything here——”
“Have you had breakfast?”
“N-no.”
“Come in with me and we’ll talk. I have a half-hour to spare.”