They reached the long
headland and stood looking out at the sea before she spoke again.
"You were very kind to me last night, Mr. Orden," she said, a
little abruptly.
"I paid a debt," he reminded her.
"I suppose there is something in that," she admitted. "I really
believe that that exceedingly unpleasant person with whom I was
brought into temporary association would have killed you if I had
allowed it."
"I am inclined to agree with you," he assented. "I saw him very
hazily, but a more criminal type of countenance I never beheld."
"So that we are quits," she ventured.
"With a little debt on my side still to be paid."
"Well, there is no telling what demands I may make upon our
acquaintance."
"Acquaintance?" he protested.
"Would you like to call it friendship?"
"A very short time ago;" he said deliberately, "even friendship
would not have satisfied me."
"And now?"
"I dislike mysteries."
"Poor me!" she sighed. "However, you can rid yourself of the
shadow of one as soon as you like after luncheon. It would be
quite safe now, I think, for me to take back that packet."
"Yes," he assented slowly, "I suppose that it would."
She looked up into his face. Something that she saw there brought
her own delicate eyebrows together in a slight frown.
"You will give it me after lunch?" she proposed.
"I think not," was the quiet reply.
"You were only entrusted with it for a time," she reminded him,
with ominous calm.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89