, "only he's so close. Now do
tell us."

"He'll tell _you_ anything _you_ choose to ask him," said Mrs.
Poppins.

"Tell me anything! Not him, indeed. What does he care for me?"

"I'm sure he would if he only knew what you were saying before he
came into the room."

"Now don't, Polly!"

"Oh, but I shall! because it's better he should know."

"Now, Polly, if you don't hold your tongue, I'll be angry! Mr.
Robinson is nothing to me, and never will be, I'm sure. Only if he'd
do me the favour, as a friend, to tell us about Mr. Johnson, I'd take
it kind of him."

In the meantime Mr. Brown and his young married guest were discussing
things commercial on their own side of the room, and Poppins, also,
was not without a hope that he might learn the secret. Poppins had
rather despised the firm at first, as not a few others had done,
distrusting all their earlier assurances as to trade bargains, and
having been even unmoved by the men in armour. But the great affair
of Johnson of Manchester had overcome even his doubts, and he began
to feel that it was a privilege to be noticed by the senior partner
in a house which could play such a game as that. It was not that
Poppins believed in Johnson, or that he thought that 15,000_l._ of
paper had at any time been missing. But, nevertheless, the proceeding
had affected his mind favourably with reference to Brown, Jones,
and Robinson, and brought it about that he now respected them,--and,
perhaps, feared them a little, though he had not respected or feared
them heretofore. Had he been the possessor of a wholesale house of
business, he would not now have dared to refuse them goods on credit,
though he would have done so before Johnson of Manchester had become
known to the world. It may therefore be surmised that George Robinson
had been right, and that he had understood the ways of British trade
when he composed the Johnsonian drama.

"Indeed, I'd rather not, Mr. Poppins," said Mr. Brown. "Secrets in
trade should be secrets. And though Mr. Johnson has done us a deal of
mischief, we don't want to expose him."

"But you've been exposing him ever so long," pleaded Poppins.

"Now Poppins," said that gentleman's wife, "don't you be troubling
Mr. Brown. He's got other things to think of than answering your
questions. I should like to know myself, I own, because all the
town's talking about it. And it does seem odd to me that Maryanne
shouldn't know."

"I don't, then," said Maryanne.