"Did it never occur to you that Henry and Selby hated each other so bitterly because they both cared for Miss Hadley?"
"How long is it necessary to know a person before falling in love?"
"Well, my word for it, it doesn't take very long sometimes. And my word for it, Henry was in love with Miss Hadley. I wish we might keep him from hearing this news for a while."
"Why, you don't think Henry will shoot Selby at sight for carrying off his girl, do you?" she laughed.
"You are a heartless girl to laugh about it. Having some one else carry off the girl you love is a much more serious matter than you seem to realize. But I am not worrying about Selby. To be sure, It would look pretty bad for Henry if Selby were assassinated the first day he was out of jail, but Mr. Selby is under the special protection of the powers of mischief who are running things here, and I have no anxiety on his behalf."
"Mrs. Bussey says that the milkman says that the Hadleys' housemaid says that Minnie was up in her room crying all day yesterday," said Leslie mischievously.
"For goodness' sake, don't let Henry hear that," exclaimed Burton. But the name reminded him of Mrs. Bussey's specialty, and he glanced rather anxiously at the open drawing-room windows under which they had been sitting. Was it his fancy, or did the curtain stir with something more palpable than the wind? What a situation for this girl to live in! It was intolerable.
He was looking at her so intently that she looked up as though he had spoken.
"What is it?" she asked swiftly. "You are hiding something from me!"
"I am trying to," he said, recovering himself. "I think my only chance of succeeding is in keeping away from you. Where is your father?"
"I'm going in to speak to him." He left her a little abruptly and went to the front door where Mrs. Bussey admitted him with her old air of curiosity struggling with timid resentment. Burton returned her look with keen interest. Had she been listening at the window?
"How do you do, Mrs. Bussey? And how's Ben? I'm coming up to see him in a minute. I have a little present from an old Indian who used to know him."
Mrs. Bussey relaxed into a smile, and hurried away, and Burton went on to the surgery to find the doctor.