ication by the collotype process, and even printed
off the plates himself."
"I see. He must be a very capable fellow."
"He is, very," she assented, "and very keen on making a position; but I
am afraid he is rather too fond of money for its own sake, which is not
a pleasant feature in a young man's character, is it?"
I agreed that it was not.
"Excessive keenness in money affairs," proceeded Miss Gibson oracularly,
"is apt to lead a young man into bad ways--oh, you need not smile, Dr.
Jervis, at my wise saws; it is perfectly true, and you know it. The fact
is, I sometimes have an uneasy feeling that Walter's desire to be rich
inclines him to try what looks like a quick and easy method of making
money. He had a friend--a Mr. Horton--who is a dealer on the Stock
Exchange and who 'operates' rather largely--'operate' I believe is the
expression used, although it seems to be nothing more than common
gambling--and I have more than once suspected Walter of being concerned
in what Mr. Horton calls 'a little flutter.'"
"That doesn't strike me as a very long-headed proceeding," I remarked,
with the impartial wisdom of the impecunious, and therefore untempted.
"No," she agreed, "it isn't. But your gambler always thinks he is going
to win--though you mustn't let me give you the impression that Walter is
a gambler. But here is my destination. Thank you for escorting me so
far, and I hope you are beginning to feel less like a stranger to the
Hornby family. We shall make our appearance to-night at eight
punctually."
She gave me her hand with a frank smile and tripped up the steps leading
to the street door; and when I glanced back, after crossing the road,
she gave me a little friendly nod as she turned to enter the house.
CHAPTER V
THE 'THUMBOGRAPH'
"So your net has been sweeping the quiet and pleasant waters of feminine
conversation," remarked Thorndyke when we met at the dinner table and I
gave him an outline of my afternoon's adventures.
"Yes," I answered, "and here is the catch cleaned and ready for the
consumer."
I laid on the table two of my notebooks in which I had entered such
facts as I had been able to extract from my talk with Miss Gibson.
"You made your entries as soon as possible after your return, I
suppose?" said Thorndyke--"while the matter was still fresh?"
"I wrote down my notes as I sat on a seat in Kensington Gardens within
five minutes after leaving Miss Gibson."
"Good!"
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