Finally she said:
"I am very sorry that I deceived you yesterday morning."
He waved his hand lightly.
"I was not deceived; so there was no harm done," he explained.
She began tugging nervously at her gloves, much as she had done a few
mornings before. Her face was still composed; but deep in her
beautiful eyes was an expression of fear.
"I might have known that I could not do it," she said. "But the
impulse came to me to deny everything as the easiest and safest way
out of it all; and I obeyed it. I was not calm enough to consider the
possible harm that it might do. However," and her firm voice broke a
little, "I suppose the newspapers would have ferreted out the facts in
any event."
"They are very keen in the pursuit of anything that promises a good
story," agreed the investigator. "But if you had given me the facts as
you intended doing when you called me on the 'phone yesterday morning,
I'd have had twenty-four hours start of them, at least."
She leaned toward him earnestly.
"I am going to be frank with you now," she said. "And perhaps it is
not yet too late. I _did_ intend telling you everything when I
telephoned you, but, as I have said, the impulse came to hide it,
instead!"
"It was fear," said Ashton-Kirk, "and was, perhaps, perfectly natural
under the circumstances.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129