“You’re seeking something, or you wouldn’t have signed on with a little man like me,” growled Baldwin. “If I’m not one o’ your smart town folk I don’t go about wi’ my eyes full o’ sawdust, and there’s something behind all this ’at I should be better pleased if I knew of.” “Then I’ll tell you,” said Inman coolly. “It isn’t a thing I could mention when I asked you to give me a job, but there’s no reason why I should keep it secret from you now, Mr. Briggs. I met Miss Nancy when she was staying with her uncle a week or two ago—I’ve known Mr. John Clegg off and on since I was a lad—and I asked her to marry me. You’ll very likely say I was over hasty; but I’m a man who knows his own mind, and bad to shake off when I’ve set my heart on a thing. Now, you can put two and two together.” Baldwin’s brain worked slowly, as has been said; but it was capable of spurts of activity, and it had been speeding about whilst Inman was making his confession, gathering together these strange occurrences and the thoughts they gave rise to and putting them on the scales of his judgment to determine whether or no the weight was to his advantage. From force of habit as well as policy the scowl deepened on his brow as he replied: “Putting two and two together isn’t all t’ sum. You’ve said naught about how Nancy looks at it, and that may make a deal o’ difference.” “Miss Nancy was taken by surprise,” Inman answered. “She wasn’t used to my blunt ways and—well, she gave me no encouragement.” “And though she gave you ‘No’ for an answer, you followed her here on t’ off-chance ’at she’d change her mind, if she saw more of you?” “I usually get what I set my mind on,” Inman answered, so calmly that Baldwin turned his eyes upon him in amazement at the note of assurance. “She knows I shan’t plague her; if she becomes my wife it’ll be of her own free will; and I’m willing to take my chance.” He smiled as he completed the sentence, and the look and tone of assurance kindled Baldwin’s wrath. “I’ve a good mind to send you about your business,” he stormed, peppering the declaration with the hottest words in his vocabulary. “You’re the coolest devil I ever came across, and I’d as lief have old Nick himself in the place. If Nancy has said ‘No’——” Inman laid his hand on the other’s arm and spoke more sternly though even yet with studied restraint. “Listen, Mr. Briggs! If you sack me I shall find a job somewhere about——” “It won’t be wi’ Drake’s, that’s certain,” broke in Baldwin hotly, “Jagger’ll none be keen on finding a job for a rival; and who else is there, nearer nor Scaleber?” “We needn’t discuss it, Mr. Briggs,” Inman replied. “I’m more likely to want to put a spoke in Jagger Drake’s wheel than to help him to put one in yours. You’ve seen enough to know that I can take Jagger’s place, and you’ve nobody else that can; and seeing that I’ve promised not to molest Miss Nancy what harm will there be in keeping me on?”