“You have frightened me. What is the matter?”
“I am only going to ask you to trust me. You will?”
“Need you ask that?” and her eyes flashed in reproach. “But I may be seen with you,” she added, glancing round.
“I am not going to keep you long enough to explain everything—only to ask you two questions. I will tell you everything another time. To whom are you going to give the papers you have just received from M. Dagara?”
“Mr. Donnington!” she cried with a start and a stare of astonishment.
“No, not to me,” I replied with a smile. “Let us walk on a little. You will not think I mean anything that is not entirely to help you in asking this.”
“No. I know that. But I—I can’t tell you. Besides, I have been ordered not—not to speak to you.”
“I guessed something of the sort and that’s partly the reason why I arranged this meeting instead of coming to your house. You generally give such things to the Contesse Inglesia. Shall you give her these?”
Again she was startled. “But how can all this be known to you? Do you mean others know it?”
“Certainly not. But please tell me.”