he was obviously in a small way of business.

"Thank you," he said. "It seems you have been to Edinburgh. We had a
branch there, but closed it recently. Newcastle has more facilities
for importing our goods. I'm afraid you have been put to some trouble."

Foster replied that he did not mind this, since he had promised Miss
Austin to bring the packet and she was a friend of his, but although he
studied the man's face saw nothing to indicate that he was interested.

"Are you staying here?" he asked, and when Foster told him that he was
going back as soon as he could, resumed: "If you had been staying, I
would have been glad to take you about the town; but, after all,
there's nothing much in the way of amusement going on. I might arrange
to meet you in the afternoon, but must now finish some letters for the
Continental mail."

Foster said he could not wait and went out, feeling that the other was
pleased to get rid of him. Graham was obviously a small importer of
provisions, and he could not see why the girl in Edinburgh had warned
him to post the packet. Carmen's reason for sending such a man
something she valued was impossible to discern.

This, however, was not Foster's business, and after lunch he caught a
train to Hexham and, finding he could get no farther, spent the night
in the old Border town.