Nicholas Jelnik that _his_ presence in Hynds
House, while pleasing to us, was disquieting and displeasing to
others.
It was to be expected that this handsome young man, who kept his
affairs so strictly to himself that nobody knew anything about them,
should arouse the avid curiosity and hold the breathless interest of
a little town where everybody had always known everybody else's
business.
Why had he come to Hyndsville? To find the Hynds jewels, after a
century? Didn't he know that the Scarlett Witch had the eye of an
eagle for the glitter of gold and would long since have discovered
whatever of value had been in Hynds House? Why didn't he consult
older members of the community, who could furnish him with
immensely interesting side-lights on the Hyndses?
Mr. Jelnik never explained. He didn't ask anybody anything. He
didn't even employ Hyndsville negroes, who could be expected to
gossip: his household consisted of a stately bronze-colored
man-servant who was reputed to be a pagan, and the huge wolf-hound,
Boris, his constant companion.
When Doctor Geddes was delicately sounded, the big man explained
that he himself had but recently made the acquaintance of his young
kinsman; Jelnik was a first-rate chap, declared the doctor;
immensely clever, as befitted his father's son; altogether likeable,
but a bit of a lunatic, like all the Hyndses.
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