She laid her hand upon my arm.
"You would not answer so unless he were. What is it that you fear?" And her brown eyes looked anxiously up into mine.
"There is no danger that I can learn of that threatens your uncle. I believe he is perfectly safe."
She threw my arm aside with a gesture of irritation.
"Do you think I have not the right to know?" she exclaimed. "Do you think I could be of no use? Do you think I ought to be shut up in the dark, wondering what is going to happen?"
"You are worrying yourself without need," I said. "You can hold me responsible for his safety."
"It is the trouble with old Mr. Bolton, is it not?" she asked after a pause.
I balanced the advantages of a lie and the truth.
"Yes, it is on that business that I am engaged."
"And you will tell me nothing about it." There was a trace of bitterness in her tone, and giving a shrug of resentful resignation she opened the door to the library and preceded me into the room.