“That’s all right,” he said, smiling as he took the chair she waved him to; “I’ve erased a page or two from the past, myself. But I can’t help admiring you; you certainly are looking fine! What have you been doing to yourself?”
She draped herself in a chair where she could look straight at him, and his compliment made her mouth harden at the corners.
“Well,” she said; “in your letter you promised you’d take me into your confidence. I’m ready.”
“It’s purely a business proposition. Each realizes on his effort. You help me to get Rosalind Benham through the simple process of fascinating Trevison; I help you to get Trevison by getting Miss Benham. It’s a sort of mutual benefit association, as it were.”
“What does Trevison look like, Jeff—tell me?” The woman leaned forward in her chair, her eyes glowing.
“Oh, you women!” said Corrigan, with a gesture of disgust. “He’s a handsome fool,” he added; “if that’s what you want to know. But I haven’t any compliments to hand him regarding his manners—he’s a wild man!”
“I’d love to see him!” breathed the woman.
“Well, keep your hair on; you’ll see him soon enough. But you’ve got to understand this: He’s on my land, and he gets off without further fighting—if you can hold him. That’s understood, eh? You win him back and get him away from here. If you double-cross me, he finds out what you are!” He flung the words at her, roughly.
She spoke quietly, though color stained her cheeks. “Not ‘are,’ Jeff—what I was. That would be bad enough. But have no fear—I shall do as you ask. For I want him—I have wanted him all the time—even during the time I was chained to that little beast, Harvey. I wouldn’t have been what I am—if—if—”
“Cut it out!” he advised brutally; “the man always gets the blame, anyway—so it’s no novelty to hear that sort of stuff. So you understand, eh? You choose your own method—but get results—quick! I want to get that damned fool away from here!” He got up and paced back and forth in the room. “If he takes Rosalind Benham away from me I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him, anyway!”