That I shouldn't be if I lived in London, and had to make calls, walk in the Park, go shopping, sit out concerts, and all that sort of thing." "But though you're out, you never go anywhere.

Surely that's unusual for one so active and--well"-- he hesitated--"I wonder whether I might be permitted to say so--so good-looking as you are, Gabrielle." "Ah!" replied the girl, protesting, but blushing at the same time, "you're poking fun at me, Mr.Flockart.All I can reply is, first, that I'm not good-looking; and, secondly, I'm not in the least dull--perhaps I should be if I hadn't my father's affairs to attend to." "They seem to take up a lot of your time," he said with pretended indifference, but, to his annoyance, landed a salmon parr at the same moment.
"We work together most evenings," was her reply.
The question which he then put as he threw the parr back into the burn struck her as curious.

It was evident that he was endeavouring to learn from her the nature of her father's correspondence.

But she was shrewd enough to parry all his ingenious cross-questioning.

Her father's secrets were her own.
"Some ill-natured people gossip about Sir Henry," he remarked presently, as he made another long cast up-stream and allowed the flies to be carried down to within a few yards from where he stood.