? Confound it, why?'

She shrugged her shoulders, and turned away. He pressed his question
with growing impatience.

'Why, what did you come telling me the other night?' cried Totty at
length. 'It was like your impudence.'

'What did I tell you? I didn't tell you anything. I asked if you knew
of something, and you said you did. I don't see how I was impudent.
After hearing Bower's tale it was likely I should come and speak to you
about it.'

'Bower's tale? What tale?'

'You don't know that Bower's found it all out, and is telling
everybody?'

'Found all _what_ out? I haven't been to the shop for a week. What do
you mean?'

Ackroyd checked some impulsive words, and recommenced gravely:

'Look here, Totty. Will you please tell me in plain words what you
supposed I was asking you about on Tuesday night?'

'All right. It's nothing to me. You'd found out somehow that Thyrza was
foolish enough to want to have you instead of Mr. Grail, and so you was
so kind as to come and tell me. I quite understood; there's no need of
saying 'I beg your pardon.' You may go your way, and I go mine.'

'And you mean to say you believed that! Well, I don't wonder at you
being in the sulks. And that's why you send Lydia to me to ask about
Thyrza? By the Lord, if I ever heard the like of that! Well, I've got a
fair lot of cheek, but I couldn't quite manage that.'

'Then what _did_ you mean?' she cried angrily.

'Why, nothing at all. But what did _you_ mean by saying you knew all
about it?'

'About as much as you did,' she answered coldly.

'H'm. Then we both meant nothing. I'll say good-night, Totty.'

'No you won't. You'll please to tell me what you _did_ mean!'

He was about to answer lightly, but altered his intention and said:

'I can't do that. It's not my business.'

'As you please. I shall go and ask Mrs. Bower what's going on.'

'I can't prevent you. But listen here, Totty. If you repeat what they
tell you--if you repeat it once--you're not the girl I thought you.
It's more than half a cursed lie, and you can't tell one half the story
without meaning the other.'

'I shall know what to think when I've heard it, Mr. Ackroyd. And as to
repeating, I shall do as I think fit.'

'Look here! When you've heard that story, you'll just go and say to
everybody that ever mentions it to you that it's a lie from beginning
to end. You understand me?'

'I shall do as I please.'

'No, you'll do as _I_ please!'

'Indeed! And w