FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   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   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  
cuse you. But I did. I do now. You stole the money a second time." Her words were low, but in them was an extraordinary vehemence, the tenseness of repressed feeling. "So he wouldn't accuse me, nor yet wouldn't deny that I was the man. Well, I'll not deny it either, since you're so sure." "You are wise, sir. You can't delude me a second time. Your denial would count for nothing. And now I think there is nothing more to be said." She had risen and was about to turn away. A gesture of his hand stopped her. "If you were so sure about me why didn't you have the officers here to arrest me?" "Because--because you are a relative of my friends." "That was the only reason, was it?" "What other reason could there be?" she asked, a flash of warning in her eyes. "There might be this reason--that at the bottom of your heart you know I didn't do it." "Can you tell me you didn't hold up Captain Kilmeny? Dare you tell me that?" He shrugged his broad shoulders. "No, I held him up." "And robbed him." "If you like to put it that way. I had to do it." "Had to rob your friend, the man who had offered to stand by you. Oh, I don't want to hear any of your excuses." "Yes, you do," he told her quietly. "What's more, you are going to hear them--and right now. You're entitled to an explanation, and it's my right to make you listen." "Can you talk away facts? You robbed your cousin when he was trying to be your friend. That may mean nothing to you. It means a great deal to me," she cried passionately. "Sho! An opera bouffe hold-up. I'll make it right with him when I see Captain Kilmeny." "You admit you took the money?" "Sure I took it. Had to have it in my business. If you'll sit down again and listen, neighbor, I'll tell you the whole story." The amused assurance in his manner stirred resentment. "No." "Yes." The clash of battle was in the meeting of their eyes. She had courage, just as he had, but she was fighting against her own desire. "I have listened too often already," she protested. "It hasn't hurt you any, has it?" "Lady Farquhar thinks it has." The words slipped out before she could stop them, but as their import came home to her the girl's face flamed. "I mean that--that----" "I know what you mean," he told her easily, a smile in his shrewd eyes. "You're a young woman--and I'm an ineligible man. So Lady Farquhar thinks we oughtn't to meet. That's all bosh. I'm not intending t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   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   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
reason
 

Farquhar

 

thinks

 

friend

 

robbed

 
listen
 
Captain
 

Kilmeny

 
wouldn
 

assurance


amused

 

neighbor

 
passionately
 

business

 
bouffe
 

fighting

 
flamed
 
easily
 

import

 

shrewd


intending

 

oughtn

 

ineligible

 

courage

 

meeting

 

battle

 

stirred

 

resentment

 

desire

 

listened


slipped

 
protested
 

manner

 

vehemence

 

stopped

 
gesture
 

tenseness

 
extraordinary
 

relative

 
friends

Because
 

officers

 
arrest
 
repressed
 

accuse

 

delude

 
feeling
 

denial

 
offered
 

explanation