"Oh, yes, but he is. It was through Mr. Kelvin that he was made secretary to Sir Thomas." "Indeed!" said Eleanor, coldly. "But that is hardly the news you have to tell me?" Despite herself, she began to tremble a little. What was this strange-looking boy about to tell her? "I'm coming to the news presently," said Pod. "May I ask whether Miss Olive Deane is still at Stammars?" "Miss Deane is still here." "Of course you know that she is Mr. Kelvin's cousin?" "I believe I have been told so." "Well, Miss Lloyd, one day I happened to overhear a conversation in Mr. Kelvin's office between Miss Deane and Mr. Pomeroy, in which your name was rather frequently mentioned." "My name mentioned in a conversation between Miss Deane and Mr. Pomeroy! What could they have to say about me?" She was trembling more than ever now, and to hide it was obliged to sit down on the chair recently vacated by Pod. "You know, miss," said Pod, with an air of self-justification, "I am not in the habit of listening to conversations that it is not intended I should hear, and it was only the mention of your name, and a certain remark that was made about you, that made me do so in this case." "But they could have nothing to say about me--nothing, that is, of any consequence either to you or me." "Well, I can only say this, that neither Miss Deane nor Mr. Pomeroy mean any good to you, and I want to put you on your guard against them." Eleanor could not speak for a moment or two. What terrible abyss was this which seemed opening at her feet? "But what do you mean by putting me on my guard against Miss Deane and Mr. Pomeroy?" "What I say is this: beware of both of them. Both of them are snakes in the grass." "You are a very strange young man, and cannot surely know what you are saying," urged poor Eleanor. "I am quite sure that there must be a great mistake somewhere." "No mistake whatever, miss. If I leave my situation to-morrow, I'll tell you. Mr. Pomeroy had been away from England for some time, and when he first came to my master, about four months ago, he hadn't a penny in the world." "Possibly not," said Eleanor, coldly. "But poverty is no disgrace." "He came to Mr. Kelvin, who had known him years before, and Kelvin lent him fifty pounds." "Friends should always help each other. But how came you to know all this?" "Through the conversation that I overheard between Miss Deane and Mr. Pomeroy. "Really," said Eleanor, as she rose, "I fail to see in what way these details concern me. I must wish you good morning, Mr. Piper, and----" "One moment, if you please," said Pod, earnestly. "You don't know why Mr. Pomeroy was male secretary to Sir Thomas, do you?" "That is a point about which I have never troubled myself to think: it does not concern me." "He was sent to Stammars that he might have a chance of marrying an heiress." "Ah!" "And that heiress was to be you, miss." "Me!" Eleanor sank down in the chair again.