As for the other--"
He hesitated. There was something almost like pain in his face.
She broke in hastily.
"I did not call you away to ask about either. I happened to notice
Captain Griffiths just now. Do you know that he is watching you
very closely?"
"I had an idea of it," Lessingham admitted indifferently. "He is
rather a clumsy person, is he not?"
"You will be careful?" she begged earnestly. "Remember, won't you,
that Helen and I are really in a most disgraceful position if
anything should come out."
"Nothing shall," he promised her. "I think you know, do you not,
that, whatever might happen to me, I should find some means to
protect you."
For the second time she felt a curious lack of will to fittingly
reprove his boldness. She had even to struggle to keep her tone as
careless as her words.
"You really are a delightful person!" she exclaimed. "How long is
it since you descended from the clouds?"
"Sometimes I think that I am there still," he answered, "but I have
known you about seventy-six hours."
"What precision?" she laughed. "It's a national characteristic,
isn't it? Captain Griffiths," she continued, as she observed his
approach, "if you really must go, please take Mr. Lessingham with
you. He is making fun of me. I don't allow even Dick's friends
to do that."
Lessingham's disclaimer was in quite the correct vein.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92