"But I haven't--ever! Who can he be? I haven't any relatives." "Your acquaintance with your family history seems to be so nebulous that I scarcely see how you can say that of your own knowledge. Do you remember what your father looked like?" "Only very dimly." "Try your hand at a description." "I seem to remember him as very tall, and dark, and----" She stopped; the fashion of her countenance was changed, as if by a sudden access of fear; then, as if because she realised how closely he was watching her, she broke into what seemed to be a fit of pettish temper. "But what does it matter what he looked like? What does it matter? My father is dead." "According to George Emmett." Something in his tone caused her to look swiftly round at him. "What do you mean by 'according to George Emmett'? Don't you believe that my father is dead?" "I merely mean that I had sufficient acquaintance with Mr George Emmett to be disinclined to accept any statement of fact on his mere _ipse dixit_. It is possible--if you like, it is probable--that he gave the Sisters at the convent proof of his assertion; but I rather fancy that their ideas of proof would be their own. You certainly seem to have had nothing in the shape of proof. The fact that he paid money on your account makes his tale--well, we'll say, peculiar; that he should have done this if, as he told you, your father died owing him money, makes it--well, very nearly incredible. It doesn't sound at all like what is generally known of George Emmett's character. If he had come and dunned you, or done worse, because your father died in his debt, there I should have recognised the man; but that, having lost money by your father, he should be willing also to lose money by you--George Emmett must have had very odd reasons of his own for doing that. You can't remember what the stranger said to Emmett?--what they were disputing about?" "I can't; I may do later, but I can't now. My brain was so stupefied, I was in such a state of cowardice, that I heard--without hearing; certainly without understanding." "You can't recall even a single phrase?" "No, I can't; I tell you I can't! Why will you persist in asking?" "Please don't suppose, Miss Gilbert, that I wish to worry you; to cause you pain; nothing can be farther from my wish; but I do want you to appreciate the situation; to put you on your guard. If by any diabolical mischance this stranger who gave your name should turn out to be some more or less distant relative of your own it's as well that you should be prepared for such an eventuality. Circumstanced as you are, and may be, the one thing you don't want is to be taken unawares." Twisting himself round, he drew towards himself a large brown paper parcel which had been reposing on the turf at his back. "Now to business. You have no money?" She shook her head. "Not any?" "I haven't a penny."