But the astute young Londoner was not to be put off so easily.

"You know something of the whole family, perhaps? Did you know the old
gentleman himself?"

"No."

"Do you know--his son?"

"Yes."

"Oh!" She assumed the attitude of an inquisitor immediately. "Perhaps it
was he who sent you here to-day?"

"No."

She looked long and scrutinizingly in his face, suspicious in her turn.
"Then what made you come?"

Max paused a moment, and then evaded her question very neatly.

"What made me come in here? Why, I came by the invitation of a young
lady, who told me she was afraid to go in alone."

The girl drew back a little.

"Yes, so I did. And I am very much obliged to you. I--I wanted to ask
you to go into that room, the front room, and to fetch some things of
mine--things I have left there. I daren't go in by myself."