Ned laughed scornfully. “Then there will be nothing more to be said, and Miss Lincoln can draw her own conclusions.”
Steve stood silent a moment, and then he looked at Ess. “Will you take my word for it, Ess? There is no woman in the hut.”
She uttered a glad cry. “I knew it was wrong, Steve. I——”
“Then you can have no objection to letting us see who is there. You will not deny there is somebody, I suppose?” said Ned.
Steve turned on him furiously. “I will let you see nothing. What infernal right have you to come shoving in here?
“The right of any decent man to see that a girl is not fooled by a blackguard,” Ned said, coolly. “To go no further than that, I have right enough.”
“Steve,” Ess cried piteously, “what need to talk of rights? Surely you will admit my right to know who is in there.”
“I will admit the right of no one—not even you, Ess,” Steve said, with his head up. “To doubt my word, that has never been refused by man or woman or child. I give you my word there is no woman in the hut.”
“Perhaps there is a back way or a window, and she has slipped out,” sneered Ned. Then his tone changed to an angry key. “What’s the use of bluffing? The game’s up, and you know it. You’re clever enough with women, we all know, but you can’t well bring two of them face to face and fool them at the same time.”
“I’ll pay you for that and for this night’s work, Ned Gunliffe,” said Steve, savagely. Then he turned to Ess. “What is it to be, Ess? Will you believe me—or not?”