Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 22, September, 1878, page 39 by Various Authors
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Miss Lisle, I never heard a reputation blighted so completely by a complimentary sentence before."
Judith blushed a little: "But he isn't very nice, is he?"
"I don't know about nice. I should say he was as steady and harmless an old fellow as ever lived. What do you mean?"
"Well," Judith hesitated, "of course one has no business to judge any one without really knowing; but his staying out so late at night--"
"'So late at night?'" Percival repeated.
"I suppose he has a latch-key generally. But one or two nights I am sure Miss Bryant sat up to let him in. I heard them whispering: at least, I heard her. I don't think that girl could even whisper quietly."
"But there must be some mistake. Fordham comes in quite early, and very often he doesn't go out at all in the evening."
"He goes out later," said Judith.
"Indeed, no. I could time all his movements. His room is next to mine, and the wall is not so thick as I could wish. He snores sometimes."
"But--" she persisted, looking scared and white, yet what was Fordham to her?--"but I have heard him over and over again, Mr. Thorne. I can't be mistaken."
Percival was disconcerted too. He looked at the carpet, at his slippered feet--at anything but her face: "You have heard some one, I suppose: I don't know who comes in late. Not poor old Fordham." He heard Emma on the stairs, and hurried to meet her. Coming back with his boots in his hand, he found Judith standing exactly as he had left her.
"I'm sure I beg Mr. Fordham's pardon," she said with a smile. "One does make curious mistakes, certainly. That nice-looking old man!" And nodding farewell to young Thorne, she went away.
He did not see her again for two days, though he watched anxiously for her. Bertie came in and out, and was much as usual. On the third evening, as Percival was going up stairs, she called after him: "Mr. Thorne."
He turned eagerly.
"You lent Bertie some money a day or two since?"
So