At the turn of the staircase they were stopped by the sound of wrangling voices in the office below.

Mr.Harper heard his name mentioned and hastened to interfere.

Assuring Mr.Ransom of his speedy return, he stepped down-stairs, and in a few minutes reappeared with a middle-aged man of characteristic appearance, whom he introduced to Mr.Ransom as Mr.Goodenough.The sight of the uncouth head of their youthful acquaintance of the morning peering up after him from the foot of the stairs was warranty sufficient that this was the man who had met the strange young lady on the highway early that morning.
At sight of him Mr.Ransom felt that inner recoil which we all experience at the prospect of an immediate and definite termination of a long brooding doubt.

In another instant and with one word this uncultured and hitherto unknown man would settle for him the greatest question of his life.

And he did not feel prepared for it.