"I can't help my appearance," I said, a little crossly. "I can assure you
that I am not a prig."
"Our young friend," Mr. Parker intervened, "has certainly earned his
immunity from any such title. To tell you the truth, Eve, he has already
been my accomplice this evening in a certain little matter. But for his
help, who knows that I might not have found myself up against it? Between
us we have even had a little fun out of Cullen."
Her expression changed. She seemed, for some reason, none too well
pleased.
"What have you been doing?" she asked me.
"I, personally, have been doing very little indeed," I told her. "Your
father entered the restaurant in a hurry about an hour ago and found it
convenient to seat himself at my table and help himself to my dinner. He
intrusted me, also, with a packet, which I subsequently returned to him."
"It is now," Mr. Parker declared, replying to his daughter's anxious
glance, "in perfectly safe hands."
She sighed and shook her head at him.
"Daddy," she murmured plaintively, "why will you run such risks? Even Mr.
Cullen isn't an absolute idiot, you know, and there might have been some
one else watching."
Mr. Parker nodded.
"You are quite right, my dear," he admitted.
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