human
I don't know why it is, said he,
gpt
But, said I,
human
I don't see what there can possibly be to suspect in his handing over this simple account to me to keep.
gpt
All I can say is, said he,
human
I wish he hadn't done it. Why didn't he hand it over to Doubleday?
gpt
I wondered at that, said I,
human
Doubleday is always flattering somebody, said he.
gpt
Never mind; it may be only fancy on my part after all.
human
It can do no good, said I,
gpt
By the way, Fred, said Jack,
human
I got a letter from you the other day.
gpt
From me? I cried;
human
I haven't written to you for months.
gpt
It _was_ from you, though, but it had been a good time on the road, for it was written from Stonebridge House just after I had left.
human
What! the letter you never called for at the post-office?
gpt
The letter you addressed to `J.' instead of `T.' my boy; But I'm glad to have it now. It is most interesting.
human
But however did you come by it?
gpt
If you will stop runaway horses when your hands are full you must expect to lose things. This letter was picked up by Mrs Shield after that little adventure, and only came to light out of the lining of her bag last week. She remembered seeing it lying on the road, she says, and picking it up, along with Mary's shawl and handkerchief, which had also fallen. But she was too flurried to think anything of it, and until it mysteriously turned up the other day she had forgotten its existence. So there's a romantic story belonging to your letter.