d looked sharply at her.

"Frightened?" he exclaimed. "Of what?"

"Of something that I can't account for or realize," she replied. "I've a
feeling that everything's all wrong--and strange. And--I'm frightened of
Mr. Burchill."

"What!" snapped Selwood. He dropped the papers and turned to face her
squarely. "Frightened of--Burchill? Why?"

"I--don't--know," she answered, shaking her head. "It's more an
idea--something vague. I was always afraid of him when he was here--I've
been afraid of him ever since. I was very much afraid when he came here
the other day."

"You saw him?" asked Selwood.

"I didn't see him. He merely sent up that card. But," she added, "I was
afraid even then."

Selwood leaned back against the desk, regarding her attentively.

"I don't think you're the sort to be afraid without reason," he said.
"Of course, if you have reason, I've no right to ask what it is. All the
same, if this chap is likely to annoy you, you've only to speak
and--and----"

"Yes?" she said, smiling a little. "You'd----"

"I'll punch his head and break his neck for him!" growled Selwood.
"And--and I wish you'd say if you have reasons why I should. Has--has he
annoyed you?"

"No," answered Peggie. She regarded Selwood steadily for a minute; then
she spoke with sudden impulse. "When he was here," she said, "I mean
before he left my uncle, he asked me to marry him."

Selwood, in spite of himself, could not keep a hot flush from mounting
to his cheek.

"And--you?" he said.

"I said no, of course, and he took my answer and went quietly away,"
replied Peggie. "And that--that's why I'm frightened of him."

"Good heavens! Why?" demanded Selwood. "I don't understand. Frightened
of him because he took his answer, went away quietly, and hasn't annoyed
you since? That--I say, that licks me!"

"Perhaps," she said. "But, you see, you don't know him. It's just
because of that--that quiet--that--oh, I don't quite know how to
explain!--that--well, silence--that I'm afraid--yes, literally afraid.
There's something about him that makes me fear. I used to wish that my
uncle had never employed him--that he had never come here. And--I'd
rather be penniless than that my uncle had ever got him--him!--to
witness that will!"

Selwood found no words wherewith to answer this. He did not understand
it. Nevertheless he presently found words of another sort.

"All right!" he muttered doggedly. "I'll watch him--or, I'll watch that
he--tha