She was holding herself admirably in hand, and I thought her in much less danger of breaking down than Curtiss himself. Perhaps the old sorrow had taught her how to bear the new one.
"I shall be glad to help you all I can," she said, and smiled a faint encouragement.
It seemed brutal to question her at such a time, but I saw it must be done and I nerved myself to do it.
"Mrs. Lawrence," I began, "has any possible explanation of your daughter's flight occurred to you?"
"No," she answered quickly, and with an emphasis that rather startled me. "It seems to me utterly unexplainable. Even yet, I can scarcely believe it!"
"She left no message for you?"
"Not a word; she simply disappeared."
"And you had no warning?"
"Warning?" she repeated, facing around upon me. "No!"
"Nor suspected that there was anything amiss?"