"And you said other things. You said a million was always useful to anyone——"
"There I banked again on your sense of humour. Or perhaps a little on your judgment of character."
"I must confess I've tried to judge yours!" Marise exclaimed, almost in spite of herself. "But I can't—I'm always stumbling against things—in the dark."
"Well, there's plenty of 'dark'! I admit that," said Garth. "Many people would say that of me. Perhaps the only one who wouldn't is little Mothereen, and we can't count her, can we? There are all sorts of horrid possibilities in the dark, where a character's concerned. My motive, though not mercenary, might have been revenge punishment!"
"That's often seemed to me the most likely!" cried Marise. "Especially now."
"Especially now? Explain, please."
"Now, when you've brought that girl out here, close to this house. You did bring her, didn't you? You asked me to be honest. Be honest yourself!"
"By my request she came."
"You paid for her to come?"
"Yes, I couldn't let her give up a good job in New York, even for awhile, and travel so far on my business, at her own expense—could I?"