"Well, our inquisitive friend, the whole lot of them as a matter of fact, can't do you much harm now. You've got him tight enough. And I'll say this for him, he's a bit soft and all that sort of thing, but he'll always play the game."
The girl did not reply for a moment, then she spoke in a voice that was low and soft:
"Yes, he's a dear little chap, he'll always play the game."
"He can afford to," was the rather ungracious comment. Clearly Mr. Burton was not in one of his best moods to-day.
Mr. Pomfret returned from his short leave on the following day, and at once sought his friend.
"Glad to be back, old man, got fed-up with London," he cried cheerfully. His excuse for his visit was that he had to go up to see his aunt's solicitors, on some pressing affairs which the old lady had entrusted to him, after her temporary recovery from her dangerous illness.
Now Murchison was pretty quick. He already had a shrewd suspicion that Jack had been making a great many surreptitious visits to Rosemount, that Hugh had been asked there now and again as a blind. And when he happened to be present, he had noticed that Jack and Norah had taken very little notice of each other. Jack had cultivated the brother, and left his friend to entertain the attractive young woman. In itself, this rather obvious attitude was suspicious. It confirmed his impression that there was a private understanding between the young people, and that they were throwing dust in his eyes.
He had already put two and two together, with regard to the concurrent absences. Mr. Burton, meeting him in the High Street two days after Norah's departure, had told him his sister was paying a visit to a married relative who lived at Brighton. He would have not believed Mr. Burton on his oath.
And Jack had taken his few days' leave, with the ostensible object of attending to his aunt's affairs.
Hugh was pretty certain that the silly young ass, as he affectionately designated Jack in his own mind, had arranged to meet Miss Burton for a day or two in London, in order to enjoy her society, free from interruption or espionage. Of course, he was far from guessing the truth. He would not have thought Pomfret capable of any such daring action.