"
"Yes, they did come up rather early."
"What is the matter with you, Raffles?" cried Laura, looking up into
his face. "You look so sad and weary!"
"I have been a little in the blues. The fact is, Laura, that I have had
a long talk with Mr. Spurling this morning."
The girl started, and turned white to the lips. A long talk with Mr.
Spurling! Did that mean that he had learned her secret?
"Well?" she gasped.
"He tells me that my charity has done more harm than good, and in fact,
that I have had an evil influence upon every one whom I have come near.
He said it in the most delicate way, but that was really what it
amounted to."
"Oh, is that all?" said Laura, with a long sigh of relief. "You must
not think of minding what Mr. Spurling says. Why, it is absurd on the
face of it! Everybody knows that there are dozens of men all over the
country who would have been ruined and turned out of their houses if
you had not stood their friend. How could they be the worse for having
known you? I wonder that Mr. Spurling can talk such nonsense!"
"How is Robert's picture getting on?"
"Oh, he has a lazy fit on him. He has not touched it for ever so long.
But why do you ask that? You have that furrow on your brow again.
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