Jason sat silent, with folded arms, the lamplight below the shadow cast by his hat brim emphasizing the smile on his firmly curved lips; and I, for my part, sat silent also, for my heart seemed sick unto death.
At the terminus Dolly would have no further escort home. She was tired out, she said, and begged only we would see her into an omnibus and go our ways without her.
As the vehicle lumbered off I turned fiercely upon my brother.
CHAPTER XXIII.
A LETTER AND AN ANSWER.
“You dog!” I said, in a low, stern voice; “tell me the meaning of this.”
He gave a little, mocking, airy laugh and, thrusting his hands into his pockets, wheeled round upon me.
“What’s your question?” said he.
“You know. What have you said to the girl to make her treat me like this?”
He raised his eyebrows in assumed perplexity.
“Really,” he said, “you go a long way to seek. What have I said? How have you behaved, you mean.”