'And you are dependent on your work? I mean--forgive me if I am
personal--Mr Sheridan did not--'

'He left no money at all.'

'Who was he?' I burst out. I felt that the subject of the dead man
was one which it was painful for her to talk about, at any rate to
me; but the Sheridan mystery had vexed me for five years, and I
thirsted to know something of this man who had dynamited my life
without ever appearing in it.

'He was an artist, a friend of my father.'

I wanted to hear more. I wanted to know what he looked like, how
he spoke, how he compared with me in a thousand ways; but it was
plain that she would not willingly be communicative about him;
and, with a feeling of resentment, I gave her her way and
suppressed my curiosity.

'So your work here is all you have?' I said.

'Absolutely all. And, if it's the same with you, well, here we
are!'

'Here we are!' I echoed. 'Exactly.'

'We must try and make it as easy for each other as we can,' she
said.