“I shall come to no harm. You are altogether too kind! Your kindness is offensive!”
“I am very sorry you regard it thus, but I know my duty.”
“If you knew half as much as you think, you would go.”
“I beg your pardon; it is because I do know as much as I think that I do not go.”
The unknown was losing patience.
“Go!” he commanded, and now his voice was masculine enough to betray him, if Frank had not dropped to the trick before.
“No,” smiled Merry, really beginning to enjoy it, “not till you go in yourself, madam.”
The train lurched round a curve, causing the disguised unknown to swing against the iron gate. Frank sprang forward, as if to catch and save the person from going over, but his real object was to apparently make a mistake and snatch off the veil.
The man seemed to understand all this, for he warded off Frank’s clutch, crying:
“I shall call for aid! I shall seek protection!”