“Don’t mention your sister’s name, please,” I interposed in my turn, speaking sharply.
“Sampayo says you hate him on her account. And he hates you. There’s no mistake about that.”
“Yet he sent you to borrow my yacht.”
“That’s for another thing altogether—there I go. If I stop here you’ll have everything out of me.”
“If you mean in regard to this wretched conspiracy, I probably know much more than you could tell me.”
His jaw fell in his surprise. “You know and yet lend the Stella? Why, are you——” He paused and stared at me in gaping bewilderment.
There could be only one reason for this. The Stella was to be used for some purpose connected with the revolutionaries and he had jumped to the conclusion that I was in league with them. Before I could reply he saw his mistake. “What a mess I’m making of things,” he muttered to himself; and then to me weakly—“Don’t question me any more, Donnington.”
“Very well. But I was not asking you about that at all, merely your personal affairs.”
He stood glancing at me nervously and irresolutely. “I say, you won’t give me away, will you?”
“You have my word on that.”