The Miser, beneath his grave courtesy, seemed taken aback by this
invasion of his solitude. Mrs. Pennington's conventional suavity plainly
embarrassed him. He smiled indeed at Margaret Elizabeth, remarking as he
spread out his engravings that it had been long since he last saw her.

The impulse was strong upon her to follow him to his desk and ask if he
had any news of the Candy Man. There were moments when she thought it
strange she had had no word. These were but fleeting moments, however;
for the most part she succeeded, or thought she succeeded, in dismissing
him to the limbo of the past. So now she resisted the impulse to ask
news of him.

When it came to negotiations Margaret Elizabeth and Augustus, leaving
Mrs. Pennington to conduct them, moved about the room, viewing the
Miser's curios.

"Do you care for mezzotints?" she asked him.

"I don't know the first thing about them," Augustus owned. "In fact
never saw one."

She laughed. "Oh, yes, you have. Ever so many of the Reynolds and Romney
portraits were reproduced in mezzotint. If I am not mistaken there is
one hanging in your own hall."

Augustus gazed at her in undisguised admiration. "I don't see how you
learn so much, Miss Bentley. I have no doubt I have a lot of things you
could help me to appreciate."

From this dangerous ground she moved hastily, calling attention to the