Eve was using all her will power to preserve her poise, but Norma saw at once that she was having difficulty to do so. In kindness of heart, Norma went over to the suffering girl.
“Come with me, Eve,” she said, softly, “let us go off by ourselves for a while.”
“Yes, do,” said Penny Wise, looking kindly at the two girls. “Zizi, perhaps you can be of use.”
Zizi followed the other two, and they went to Eve’s room. With all the deftness of a nurse, Zizi found some aromatic cologne, and a fresh handkerchief, and in a moment was bathing Eve’s temples, with a gentle, soothing touch.
“What a funny little piece you are!” said Eve, looking at the small sympathetic face, and speaking in a preoccupied way.
“Yes,” acquiesced Zizi, while Norma sat by, lost in her own thoughts.
“Tell me,” said Eve, suddenly roused to energy. “Tell me, Zizi,—you know as much as Mr. Wise does,—tell me, who paid Tracy money?”
“What!” cried Norma, “Eve, hush! don’t say such things. If anybody did, we don’t want to know it!”
“We’ll have to know it,” said Eve, simply, “and, Norma,——”
But Norma interrupted her; “No, Eve, we don’t have to, at least, we don’t have to ask about it, or inquire into it. The detective will do that.”