Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

162 WILLY BURKE; OR,
him. Mr. Weimar was pacing the room to and fro, with
a restless air, but his countenance, always fixed and rigid,
gave no indication of what was passing in his mind. All
the young men were present ; and as Willy glanced
around, he fancied that every face wore a sort of incipient
sneer. Dawson alone looked kindly on him ; but even he
spoke not a word. There was evidently something unusual
going forward ; and Willy felt chilled, though he
knew not why. Mr. Weimar was the first to speak, and
his tones were harsh—even harsher than their wont.
" You keep us too long waiting", he said ; " but you
not tink to find us here, eh ?"
" No, indeed, Mr. Weimar", answered Willy, " I didn't
expect to see either you or Mr. Talbot here".
" You guess why we come, eh ? What you tink brought
us?"
" Well, I don't know, sir", said Willy, and his voice
trembled slightly. " I hope there 's nothing wrong".
" Yes, dere is something wrong, sir !" said Weimar,
' ; mimicking his tone ; and I think you know it, too.
What you do with dat parcel Mr. Talbot give you to-day
for me at de office door ; where you put it, eh ?"
" I put it on your desk, sir", said Willy, and the colour
left his cheek, for he began to fear that his misgivings
were but too well founded.
" On my desk, eh? I see no parcel dere. Where was
I when you put it on my desk?" asked Weimar, with increasing
sternness in his voice.
"•You were gone to dinner, sir. Mr. Talbot knew
that, too, and he told me to lay it where I did, so that
you 'd see it the first thing when you came in. I put it
on the big book, sir, that was lying open on the desk".