"I'll bet you had a reason! And you were in the railway carriage when this purse was stolen?"
"I—I didn't say so."
"Well, were you? I want to know."
She hesitated a moment, then flung him a look of defiance.
"Yes, I was. What of it? You read what the paper said. I had nothing to do with the robbery."
Anton smiled. "Excuse me, girlie, the paper said you succeeded in convincing the police that you had nothing to do with it. Which isn't the same thing. Now don't get snappy." He patted her playfully on the knee.
The hot blood mounted to Hester's cheeks.
"Keep your hands off me," she warned him. "And, if you think yourself cleverer than the police you'd better offer them your services."
The words were hastily spoken and immediately regretted. If there was one thing in the world Hester wished to avoid it was any entanglement with Scotland Yard. The very name made her shiver.
"Not a bad idea!" reflected the chauffeur. "I may try it, if I can't fix up a deal with you." Here he lighted another cigarette. "But don't you worry, we'll make a deal all right."