"No, I don't deny it." The words seemed to be wrung from me, and I continued my stare of dismay at the table.
"I thought that would bring you to your senses. Where is she?"
"I'll take you up to her;" and I rose.
"No, thank you. I don't want you," he declared with a short laugh.
I sat down again. "I must think all this over," I murmured with a sigh of concern. "She's in the drawing-room, the room at the top of the stairs."
"I'll find it right enough, you bet." He went to the door and then turned for a last shot. "You understand, Bastable, if she says no, you'll all sleep in gaol to-night."
I let my head sink on my hand, and with a last leer of satisfaction he went out.
My only fear was lest I had overdone it; but he was anything but a keen observer, and was himself a man of exaggerated gesture.
I waited a few minutes to give him time to put his cowardly proposition to Althea and then, having rumpled my hair a bit to give the appearance of intense perturbation, I followed to add my plea to his--that Althea should agree to marry him.
It was, as she had said, the only way; but in furtherance of my plans instead of his.