he felt as much
puzzled by her failure to use the opportunity he had put in her way as
she was puzzled by his neglect to seize her jewellery lying ready to his
hand.

He was still hesitating, still appearing unable to decide which chair to
employ in carrying out his proclaimed purpose of fastening her up when
she asked a question that made him swing round upon her very quickly and
with a very startled look.

"Are you a real burglar?" she said.

CHAPTER VI. A DISCOVERY

"What do you mean?" Dunn asked quickly. The matted growth of hair on his
face served well to hide any change of expression, but his eyes betrayed
him with their look of surprise and discomfiture, and in her own clear
and steady glance appeared now a kind of puzzled mockery as if she
understood well that all he did was done for some purpose, though what
that purpose was still perplexed her.

"I mean," she said slowly, "well--what do I mean? I am only asking
a question. Are you a burglar--or have you come here for some other
reason?"

"I don't know what you're getting at," he grumbled. "Think I'm here for
fun? Not me. Come and sit on this chair and put your hands behind you
and don't make a noise, or scream, or anything, not if you value your
life."

"I don't know that I do very much," she answered with a manner of
extreme bitterness, but more as if speaking to herself than to him.

She did as he ordered, and he proceeded to tie her wrists together and
to fasten them to the back of the chair on which she had seated herself.
He was careful not to draw the cords too tight, but at the same time he
made the fastening secure.

"You won't disturb mother, will you?" she asked quietly when he had
finished. "Her room's the one at the end of the passage."

"I don't want to disturb any one," he answered. "I only want to get off
quietly. I won't gag you, but don't you try to make any noise, if you do
I'll come back. Understand?"

"Oh, perfectly," she answered. "May I ask one question? Do you feel very
proud of yourself just now?"

He did not answer, but went out of the room quickly, and he had an
impression that she smiled as she watched him go, and that her smile was
bitter and a little contemptuous.

"What a girl," he muttered. "She scored every time. I didn't find out a
thing, she didn't do anything I expected or wanted her to. She seemed as
if she spotted me right off--I wonder if she did? I wonder if she could
be trusted?"

But then he t