"By the way, Merton, before I forget it," he said at length, "tell me about Miss Affleck, whom I met at your house last evening."
Merton glanced at him and did not appear to be pleased at the question. "Oh, I see," thought his friend, "the subject is not one that he finds agreeable. I must know why."
"She is a friend of my wife's, but I have never seen much of her," replied Merton. "She is an orphan, without money or expectations, I believe." After an interval he added--"But I dare say you know as much as I can tell you about her, as you walked home or part of the way home with her last evening."
This of course was a mere guess on Merton's part.
"Yes, I did, but I didn't question her, and I wanted to know where her people came from, the Afflecks--"
"Oh, I can soon satisfy your curiosity on that point. That is really not her name. She was adopted or something by a lady who took an interest in her for some reason, or for no reason, and who thought proper to give her that name because Miss Affleck's real surname didn't please her."
"I can't remember. Barnes, or Thompson, or Wilkins--one of those sort of names."
"And how came the lady to call her Affleck?"
"A mere fancy for an uncommon name, I believe, and because Frances Affleck sounded better than Frances Green or Black or anything she could think of. Of course she didn't really adopt the girl at all, but she brought her up and educated her."
Eden was not yet satisfied with what he had heard, and as Merton seemed inclined to drop the subject, which was not what he wanted, he remarked tentatively:
"How curious then that Miss Affleck should now be compelled to make her own living as a shop-assistant!"
"Oh, you got that out of her!" exclaimed Merton, in a tone of undisguised annoyance.
"Don't say I got it out of her," returned the other a little sharply. "I did not question her about her affairs, of course. She gave me that information quite spontaneously. I can't remember what it was that brought the subject up." Here he paused to reflect, remarking mentally, "This fellow is teaching me to be as great a liar as he is himself." Then he continued--"Ah, yes, I remember now; we were talking about books, and I asked her why she had not read all the popular novels I mentioned, and then she explained her position."
