"
Mrs. Wenham Gardner leaned towards him. It was certainly the
first time that a woman in her apparent rank of life had looked
upon Tavernake in such a manner. Her forehead was a little
wrinkled, her lips were parted, her eyes were pathetically,
delightfully eloquent.
"Mr. Tavernake, you must not--you must not refuse me," she
pleaded. "If you only knew the importance of it, you would not
hesitate for a moment. This is no idle curiosity on my part. I
have reasons, very serious reasons indeed, for wishing to
discover that poor girl's whereabouts at once. There is a
possible danger of which she must be warned. No one can do it
except myself."
"Are you her friend or her enemy?" Tavernake asked.
"Why do you ask such a question?" she demanded.
"I am only going by her expression when she saw you come into the
chemist's shop," Tavernake persisted doggedly.
"It is a cruel suggestion, that," the woman cried. "I wish to be
her friend, I am her friend. If I could only tell you
everything, you would understand at once what a terrible
situation, what a hideous quandary I am in."
Once more Tavernake paused for a few moments. He was never a
quick thinker and the situation was certainly an embarrassing one
for him.
"Madam," he replied at length, "I beg that you will tell me
nothing. The young lady of whom you have spoken permits me to
call myself her friend, and what she has not told me herself I do
not wish to learn from others.
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68