Claudia laughed, and then became grave to rebuke him. "You are a wicked boy to talk of your mother in that way. It is just as well that she should get your salary. You are too young to know the value of money." "Oh, am I? Well, that's a good one. May I smoke?" Claudia laughed again at this politeness, and sat down on a convenient boulder. "You shouldn't smoke at your age." "Who gave me cigarettes?" asked Neddy, shyly. "I was very wrong to encourage you. I don't think," added Claudia, with a view to arriving at the point she aimed at, "that your aunt would give you tobacco." Neddy sat down and lighted up with the impudent air of a robin. "I take it," he remarked, coolly, "she smokes herself, and I sneak what I want. Aunt Laura ain't bad. A dashing sort of woman, ain't she?" "She'd box your ears if she heard you say that, Neddy." "She wouldn't. Aunt Laura daren't lay a finger on me." "Why not?" Claudia became aware that there was a threat hidden here. "Because I know----" Neddy hesitated, and stole a cunning glance at his companion. "Well, I know what I know." "Lady Wyke has been very kind to you, Neddy." "Kind? Oh, yes, very kind," Neddy sneered, and then smiled blandly. "You're a wicked little boy, you know, to steal letters." Master Mellin dropped his cigarette and looked startled. "She told you?" Claudia nodded. "Yes. She wants----" "You needn't talk." Neddy waved his hand grandly. "I know. Aunt Laura wants to marry the nut you're sweet on. I twigged that ages ago. She didn't know how to manage to nab him, so I helped her." "By giving her that letter?" Neddy nodded in his turn. "I read it, you know miss," and he leered so significantly that Claudia looked upon him as the leading pupil in Mr. Fagin's evil Academy. "I'm rather sorry I did," went on Neddy, "as the nut belongs to you, but only in that way could I make the old gal help me." "You unscrupulous little animal!" burst out Claudia, positively afraid of the lad's shrewdness. "You have made a lot of mischief." "I could have made more, miss. 'Spose I'd given that letter to old Purse?" Claudia shivered, and saw the necessity of propitiating him. "You didn't do that, I am glad to say." "No. 'Cause I like Mr. Craver. He's a good sort, and has promised to give me a ride in his aeroplane." "Why did you steal the letter at all?" asked Claudia, nervously. "Well, you see, I arrived just when that old cove was slaughtered. Old Mrs. Vence, she wouldn't let me see the corpse as much as I wanted to, so I nicked the letter lying on the hall table just to punish her. You see, if the letter was missing I guessed she'd get beans. When she did I intended to bring the letter back." "But she didn't get beans as you call it."