lish
gentleman. You know very well the construction likely to be put
upon your behaviour--you, of all people, would be the most likely to
appreciate the risk you ran. Why did you run it? In other words, I
repeat my question. Why did you sup alone with Austen Abbott last
night?"

All this time she had been standing. She came a little forward now, and
threw herself into an easy-chair.

"It doesn't help!" she exclaimed. "All this doesn't help!"

"Nor can I help you, then," Peter Ruff said, stretching out his hand for
his hat.

She waved to him to put it down.

"I will tell you," she said. "It has nothing to do with the case,
but since you ask, you shall know. There is a dear little girl in our
company--Fluffy Dean we all call her--only eighteen years old. We all
love her, she is so sweet, and just like I was when I first went on the
stage, only much nicer. She is very pretty, she has no money, and she is
such an affectionate little dear that although she is as good as gold,
we are all terrified for her sake whenever she makes acquaintances.
Several of us who are most interested made a sort of covenant. We all
took it in turns to look after her, and try to see that she did not meet
any one she shouldn't. Yet, for all our precautions, Austen Abbott
got hold of her and turned her silly little head. He was a man of
experience, and she was only a child. She wouldn't listen to us--she
wouldn't hear a word against him. I took what seemed to me to be the
only chance. I went to him myself--I begged for mercy, I begged him
to spare the child. I swore that if--anything happened to her, I would
start a crusade against him, I would pledge my word that he should be
cut by every decent man and woman on the stage! He listened to what I
had to say and at first he only smiled. When I had finished, he made me
an offer. He said that if I would sup with him alone at the Milan, and
permit him to escort me home afterwards, he would spare the child. One
further condition he made--that I was to tell no one why I did it. It
was the man's brutal vanity! I made the promise, but I break it now.
You have asked me and I have told you. I went through with the supper,
although I hated it. I let him come in for a drink as though he had been
a friend. Then he tried to make love to me. I took the opportunity of
telling him exactly what I thought of him. Then I showed him the door,
and left him. Afterwards--afterwards--Brian came in! They must have met