Dan was not naturally of a suspicious nature, but since taking up the profession of a detective, he had become so. Slight matters that formerly¹ he would not have noticed, now attracted his attention, and, as the saying goes, he saw a bird in every bush. For this reason while returning slowly to the cottage, he considered Vincent’s backward glance, which hinted at nervousness, and his unnecessarily angry reply to the question as to whether he was rich. Usually dreamy and absent-minded, the turn taken by the conversation had awakened² the tiger in the man, and apparently³ he regarded Halliday as over-inquisitive. Yet why the inventor should take this view, Dan could not conjecture⁴. But after musing⁵ for a few minutes, the young man began to think that he was making a mountain our of a mole-hill. And whatever secret Vincent had in his life, as his suddenly aggressive attitude showed, it could have nothing to do with the particular quest upon which Dan was bent⁸. Halliday therefore dismissed the matter from his mind with a shrug⁹, and went into the cottage to disturb the lovers.

“Well, Mr. Halliday,” remarked Mildred, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes were bright, “what did my uncle say?”

“Very little, but what he did say was to the point. He refuses to let me have a machine.”

“How like him,” ejaculated Laurance quickly; “but upon what grounds?”

Dan scratched his chin. “Really, I don’t know. He seems to think that I am a spy desirous of learning his trade secrets. He called you a meddling¹⁰ fool, Freddy.”

“Ah, that is because I wish to marry Mildred,” replied Freddy, drily; “it is very natural that Mr. Vincent should object to a man, who comes to rob him of his treasure, so I don’t mind his abuse.”

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