He alone knew that they would give no record of a transaction which had never occurred.

He briefly replied that his intention to seek another situation was unchanged, but that he would cheerfully await the arrival of his successor.

Two weeks passed.

Then Mr.Sanderson, Mrs.Peyton's lawyer, arrived, bringing an apologetic note from Mrs.Peyton.She was so sorry her business was still delayed, but as she had felt that she had no right to detain him entirely at Robles, she had sent to Mr.Sanderson to TEMPORARILY relieve him, that he might be free to look around him or visit San Francisco in reference to his own business, only extracting a promise from him that he would return to Robles to meet her at the end of the week, before settling upon anything.
The bitter smile with which Clarence had read thus far suddenly changed.
Some mysterious touch of unbusiness-like but womanly hesitation, that he had never noticed in her previous letters, gave him a faint sense of pleasure, as if her note had been perfumed.

He had availed himself of the offer.