“I am afraid though that it is true,” she said, half-laughingly looking up at him. “Perhaps you will want to reconsider too.” “If you don’t want it any more than I want it, Nell---- What’s that?” he cried hastily, changing his expression and attitude in a moment. “Is that one of your neighbours at the gate?” Elinor looked round, starting away a little from his side, and saw some one--a man she had never seen before--approaching along the path. She was just about to say she did not know who it was when Phil, to her astonishment, stepped past her, advancing to meet the newcomer. But as he did so he put out his hand and caught her as he passed, leading her along with him. “Mind what I said, and stick to me,” he said, in a whisper; then-- “Stanfield!” he cried with an air of perfect ease and cordiality, yet astonishment. “I thought it looked like you, but I could not believe my eyes.” “Mr. Compton!” said the other. “So you are here. I have been hunting after you all over the place. I heard only this morning this was a likely spot.” “A very likely spot!” said Phil. “I suppose you know the good reason I have for being in these parts. Elinor, this is Mr. Stanfield, who has to do with our company, don’t you know. But I say, Stanfield, what’s all this row in the papers? Is it true that Brown’s bolted? I should have taken the first train to see if I could help; but my private affairs are most urgent just at this moment, as I suppose you know.” “I wish you had come,” said the other; “it would have looked well, and pleased the rest of the directors. There has been some queer business--some of the books abstracted or destroyed, we can’t tell which, and no means of knowing how we stand.” “Good Heavens!” said Phil, “to cover that fellow’s retreat.” “If you mean Brown, it was not he. They were all there safe enough after he was gone; somebody must have got in by night and made off with them, some one that knew all about the place; the watchman saw a light, but that’s all. It’s supposed there must have been something compromising others besides Brown. He could not have cheated the company to such an extent by himself.” “Good Heavens!” cried Phil again in natural horror; “I wish I had followed my impulse and gone up to town straight: but it was very vague what was in the papers; I hoped it might not have been our place at all. And I say, Stanfield--who’s the fellow they suspect?” Elinor had disengaged herself from Compton’s arm; she perceived vaguely that the stranger paused before he replied, and that Phil, facing him with a certain square attitude of opposition which affected her imagination vaguely, though she did not understand why--was waiting with keen attention for his reply. She said, a little oppressed by the situation, “Phil, perhaps I had better go.” “Don’t go,” he said; “there’s nothing secret to say. If there’s anyone suspected it must very soon be known.”