"A minute? Oh, yes. I will give you that," he said. "Indeed, I feel tired myself. Come in here. It will seem like old times."
CHAPTER LXXI.
THE SPIDER'S WEB.
STORMS turned at once and led the way to the dilapidated old summer-house where so many of his interviews with the girl had taken place.
There was something secretly sinister in the man's voice that might have warned Judith of danger; but for his previous expressions of tenderness, she would have been on her guard. As it was, she hurried past him, and went into the little building first; then flinging off her scarlet jacket, she tossed her pretty hat, with its cluster of red poppies, upon the bench, and pushed the black masses of hair away from her temples, with the dash of a prize-fighter going into action.
"It is so warm," she said, "and we have walked so fast. Ah! how natural the old place looks!"
Storms paused at the door, and looked back along the path he had trod, and around the lake cautiously.
"You needn't trouble yourself. If a gamekeeper should see us they'll take me for that Jessup girl," she said, laughing.
"While we are here," he said, with soft insinuation, "let me read that letter you spoke of—Jessup's last. There is moonlight enough, and I haven't seen it yet."