Hence whispers and suspicious questions, all wide of the mark.

No one had as yet heard of Andrew Peak, and it seemed but too likely that Lady Whitelaw, for some good reason, had declined to discharge the expenses of Godwin's last year at the College.
Mr.Moxey himself felt that an explanation was desirable, but he listened with his usual friendly air to Godwin's account of the matter--which of course included no mention of Lady Whitelaw.
'Have you friends in London ?' he inquired--like everyone else.
'No.

Except that your nephew was so kind as to ask me to call on him, if ever I happened to be there.' There passed over Mr.Moxey's countenance a curious shadow.

Godwin noticed it, and at once concluded that the manufacturer condemned Christian for undue advances to one below his own station.

The result of this surmise was of course a sudden coldness on Godwin's part, increased when he found that Mr.Moxey turned to another subject, without a word about his nephew.
In less than ten minutes he offered to take leave, and no one urged him to stay longer.