第213页 / 共896页

"There never was, nor will be, but one man worthy of Ladybird,"

said Miss Pross; "and that was my brother Solomon, if he hadn't

made a mistake in life."

Here again: Mr. Lorry's inquiries into Miss Pross's personal

history had established the fact that her brother Solomon was a

heartless scoundrel who had stripped her of everything she

possessed, as a stake to speculate with, and had abandoned her in

her poverty for evermore, with no touch of compunction. Miss

Pross's fidelity of belief in Solomon (deducting a mere trifle

for this slight mistake) was quite a serious matter with Mr.

Lorry, and had its weight in his good opinion of her.

"As we happen to be alone for the moment, and are both people of

business," he said, when they had got back to the drawing-room

and had sat down there in friendly relations, "let me ask

you--does the Doctor, in talking with Lucie, never refer to the

shoemaking time, yet?"

"Never."

"And yet keeps that bench and those tools beside him?"