Page:Elizabeth's Pretenders.djvu/264

Rh "Is not this rather hard, uncle? Why should Miss Shaw and I not be friends? There is no disparity in our station, that I can see; and why, because you are her solicitor and trastee, your nephew is the only man who must avoid her, I cannot understand. As to my dropping my real name at the pension, she will see at once why I did so. When I learnt she was there, knowing that she wished to remain unknown, I thought it would annoy her to find your nephew—for she knew my name, though not my face—under the same roof. We have parted good friends; nothing more. But I should regret to think that I was forbidden ever to meet her again upon the same footing."

"I can't forbid your being good friends with Miss Shaw—how can I? If I die, you will have the conduct of her affairs, I suppose, and it is very advisable that you should be good friends. But I won't have any of these meetings at pensions—it may be dangerous."

"There seems no chance of it at present, sir," replied George, stiffly; and, taking up some letters on another case, he turned his uncle's attention into a different currents

The following morning brought a few lines again from William Shaw. Neither Mr. Twisden nor his nephew need trouble himself to come to Farley; he was not feeling very well, and his wife urged his seeing a London physician. He would run up to town for a night, and if Mr. Twisden was not able to be in Gray's Inn the following day, Mr. Shaw would drive down to Hampstead to see him. Thereupon Mr. Twisden, believing, like