“Indeed! Then I’ll make it plain,” he hissed. “I want you to cover my flight for liberty.
“You see I have escaped,” he went on rapidly. “The officers are baffled—my trail so far is undiscovered.”
“You mistake!” she corrected, with surprising coolness and decision. “By the dispensation of an inscrutable, but just Providence, the blackguard’s trail is blazed—the trap is sprung and you cannot escape!”
Rutley’s eyes snapped fire. He saw that a policy of sneering and bullying persuasion to aid him would fail ignominiously. He must use force. His aspect became black and threatening.
“Damn you!” he hissed. “See here, moments are precious. The game too desperate. Beware! You must find a place of concealment for me. The loft has storerooms. Come, and in the darkness of tonight you must aid me to clear from the premises.”
“Never!” she resolutely exclaimed, her eyes ablaze with indignation.
“Soft! Not so loud, my fair partner,” Rutley cautioned. “You led me into this scrape. You must help me out of it.”
“Let me pass!” And she motioned for him to stand aside.
He did not move.
“Do you deny me?” she said, sternly.