Publisher's Synopsis
"I will see Miss George now," assented Carrados. Parkinson retired and Greatorex looked round from his chair. The morning "clearing-up" was still in progress. "Shall I go?" he inquired. "Not unless the lady desires it. I don't know her at all." The secretary was not unobservant and he had profited from his association with Mr Carrados. Without more ado, he began to get his papers quietly together. The door opened and a girl of about twenty came eagerly yet half timorously into the room. Her eyes for a moment swept Carrados with an anxious scrutiny. Then, with a slight shade of disappointment, she noticed that they were not alone. "I have come direct from Oakshire to see you, Mr Carrados," she announced, in a quick, nervous voice that was evidently the outcome of a desperate resolution to be brave and explicit. "The matter is a dreadfully important one to me and I should very much prefer to tell it to you alone." There was no need for Carrados to turn towards his secretary; that discriminating young gentleman was already on his way. Miss George flashed him a shy look of thanks and filled in the moment with a timid survey of the room. "Is it something that you think I can help you with?" "I had hoped so. I had heard in a roundabout way of your wonderful power-ought I to tell you how-does it matter?" "Not in the least if it has nothing to do with the case," replied Carrados. "When this dreadful thing happened I instinctively thought of you. I felt sure that I ought to come and get you to help me at once. But I-I have very little money, Mr Carrados, only a few pounds, and I am not so childish as not to know that very clever men require large fees. Then when I got here my heart sank, for I saw at once from your house and position that what seemed little even to me would be ridiculous to you-that if you did help me it would be purely out of kindness of heart and generosity." "Suppose you tell me what the circumstances are," suggested Carrados cautiously. Then, to afford an opening, he added: "You have recently gone into mourning, I see." "See!" exclaimed the girl almost sharply. "Then you are not blind?"
