“Then I must undeceive you,” Carpentaria spoke firmly. “I also have acquired a certain curiosity as to that strange individual. And to satisfy my curiosity I have kept a considerable number of vigils. And I am in a position to state that, not only on the first night of your arrival, but every night your sister has had speech with that person from the window of her room.”
“Who is he? What can he want?” demanded Pauline, nervously.
“That is a question that I meant to put to you,” said Carpentaria in reply.
“As for me, I know nothing.”
“When you spoke to him, as you admit you did, did he not ask you to do something?”
“Yes, and I refused his request.”
“But your sister? What did she do?”
“Oh! Mr. Carpentaria,” murmured Pauline, “can I trust you?”
“You know that you can.”
She related to him all the details of the episode of the black box.