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Rh "Between twenty-two and twenty-five, I should say."

"She seems to have lest faith in humanity at a very early age."

"Oh, she never had any faith in Flannigan. You must remember that she has seen her father time and again lose the result of his labours through his lack of business acumen, and because of his infinite trust in his fellows. She has seen others grow rich through the product of his brain. She regards this present complication as her father's last throw, and is determined that the dice shall not be loaded."

"I quite sympathise with her in this, Peter, but isn't it just possible that Flannigan is an honest man?"

"He has been accused of many things," said Mackeller, drily, "but never of honesty."

"I return to my original difficulty in understanding the situation." Stranleigh had arisen and was pacing up and down the room, hands in his pockets, and a slight frown on his brow.

"If Mr. Sarsfield-Mitcham is given untrammelled control of the money, and untrammelled choice of his assistants, how can Flannigan interfere? How has he interfered? What ground has she for suspecting he has attempted interference?"

"She believes that Flannigan's agents bribe her father's men as soon as her father engages them."

"What reason does she give for that belief, for